Note: Below is an article by Mike Büchel who studies with Yim Mau-Kun in Taipei from Sept. 17 till Dec. 15, 2015.
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As my stay in Taipei is approaching the end, I would like to take a moment to reflect on my experience here. I would like to express my gratitude to Mr. Yim Mau Kun and his students. I´m taking home a lot of knowledge after my stay in the atelier of the “twin bridges.” I improved considerably in painting and drawing. If the observer of my work doesn´t agree with that, then the only possible reason I can see is that he hasn´t seen my previous works. Also my improvement is greater than what’s reflected in my practices since the head learns much faster than the hands. But I´m leaving this beautiful country and its wonderful people with a lot of inspiration and homework.
Mr. Yim is a wonderful person and a type of artist who is rare to find nowadays. When you think about the old Masters, you may think of Rembrandt, Leonardo da Vinci or Vermeer. Seeing Mr. Yim’s work with my eyes evokes the same inspiration of these old masters. What makes him unique is that he is a great artist and at the same time a good teacher.
But my thanks are not only to Mr. Yim. I received a lot support from his students and learned a lot by the tips and tricks which they where sharing very generously with me. The atelier has a strong energy and I would have loved to stay longer if it were possible, because this is the type of environment which provides the plant everything what it needs to grow.
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About Mike
Born in 1981, Mike has had a colorful life. He has been a goldsmith, tattoo artist, yogurt business owner, jewelry designer and music festival organizer. He has lived in Mexico, South America, throughout Europe, Jerusalem. Mike became interested in painting and drawing when he was in Mexico making a living as a tattoo artist and jewelry designer. He enrolled in a fine art program in Mexico but had to drop out after a few months due to visa issues. After moving back to Europe, he met his wife who is a pianist while organizing a musical festival when he was in Portugal. When his wife came out with a new album and wanted him to create a cover for it, he decided to commit himself to painting full time. Mike was living in Portugal, learning and painting on his own for three years before coming to Taipei to study with Mau-Kun Yim.
