“If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast.” — Ernest Hemingway. The land where we grow up often becomes an enduring spiritual homeland. For Ichiro Tanaka (1923–2021), who studied at Taihoku Higher School (now National Taiwan Normal University) during the Japanese colonial period, Taiwan was the homeland of his youth, where his character and sense of identity took shape.

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During his time in Taiwan, Ichiro Tanaka was a classmate of former President Lee Teng-Hui and learned printmaking from Tateishi Tetsuomi. After returning to Japan following the war, he missed his days in Taipei. In addition to publishing the Picture Book: Songs of Taihoku at his own expense, Ichiro Tanaka sent nearly 500 illustrated postcards to his then girlfriend Ms. Kazue Kanda (later Mrs. Tanaka), documenting the touching memories of “Time × Space × Humanity” at the time.

As a medium for mail art, postcards derive their value not only from freehand sketching and written words, but also from the temporal imprints of postmarks, the choice of stamps, and even the traces of misdelivery, redelivery, damage, and repair incurred during transit—all of which become integral parts of the artwork. Compared to traditional art that centers on “works”, mail art prioritizes interpersonal interactions, and is free from the constraints of the art market, emphasizing the open spirit of "the process is the creation". This spirit brings art truly into the daily lives of the general public. Although artificial intelligence and the digital era have made handwritten letters increasingly rare nowadays, the tangible texture of physical letters, the warmth of freehand sketches, and the "sense of ritual" born of long anticipation remain irreplaceable.

In February 2025, Mr. Kazutoshi Tanaka, the second son of Ichiro Tanaka, donated his father’s collection of postcards, publications and prints to the “Design Corner” of National Taiwan Normal University. To commemorate this friendship, National Taiwan Normal University organized this special exhibition and invited nine Taiwanese contemporary artists to participate: 

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• Hsieh Sheng-Min: Hsieh painted from his sickbed to record his final struggles and sweet memories, revealing his resilience in creation.

• Yuan Chin-Taa: Yuan mailed works crafted on handmade paper back to Taiwan from overseas, inspiring the interaction between international and local cultures.

• Su Jun-Pin: Despite a busy official schedule, Su finds time to engage in painting to integrate life, government affairs and personal ideas into artistic creation.

• Kao Szu-Sheng: Residing in the United States, Kao repaints the cultural connotations of traditional myths and folk tales across geographic distance.

• Apex Lin: Lin promotes the profound development of mail art based on Taiwanese totems, and advocates the importance of design as an art of living.

• Chuang Kun-Liang: Chuang draws inspirations from daily life, revealing an ingenious and rich literary atmosphere with concise compositions.

• Mia Lee: As a handmade paper artist, Lee creates a vibrant world on the postcards through delicate observations of life. 

• Johnny Lin: Lin overlooks and captures the unique charm of Taipei’s four seasons from Taipei 101. 

• Daya Chang: As an illustrator and traveler, Chang documents travel journals with novel and interesting viewpoints and fine pictures.

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This exhibition is not only a dialogue across time and space, but also a call for the public to cherish this fading art form. Senders, postmen, recipients and on-site viewers are all co-creators. We invite you to feel the genuine warmth in letter delivery at this exhibition.