About Vincent C.

Vincent grew up in New Zealand, and due to the educational environment there, he loved nature and creation from a young age. His father worked in Taiwan for a long time, so his mother decided to bring Vincent back to Taiwan for his education. This marked the beginning of Vincent's challenges in life. One time, in the fourth grade, he participated in a school painting competition. Vincent eagerly anticipated winning and being recognized but completely failed. This made Vincent believe that he had no talent for painting and wasn't good at it. Under the Taiwanese educational environment and his parents' rigid mindset, art was considered an unpromising career. As a result, after elementary school, Vincent couldn't keep up with his studies in junior high. His parents were busy with work and lacked concern, leading him to become addicted to online games, where he began to find self-identity in a virtual world.

 

After graduating from junior high, Vincent scored less than 100 points on the academic aptitude test, and only two or three schools in Taipei were willing to admit him to high school. At that time, Vincent's father believed that if his son went to those schools, he would have no future and easily go astray. Although Vincent's family was in a state of financial hardship at the time, his father decided to send him back to New Zealand for education. After much turmoil, Vincent was sent to a boarding public school in New Zealand at the age of 15, away from his parents, returning to this familiar land with mixed feelings. However, it was too late. Vincent was already addicted to the virtual world and felt forced to go abroad by his parents, believing he couldn't do anything right in real life, and that he was the child his parents had abandoned. From that moment on, Vincent decided to find his talent in life, no longer wanting to rely on his parents but on himself. In high school, he tried various subjects: music, photography, horticulture, tourism. By the time he graduated, he had earned all the necessary credits, but he hadn't found true inner joy. At his father's suggestion, Vincent applied to an Australian university. Without hesitation, he went to Melbourne, Australia, after graduation. After studying at university for a year, Vincent failed all his subjects due to being unable to keep up with the academic demands. One day, Vincent received an invitation from a friend asking, "Do you want to work in a restaurant? You just need to be in charge of frying chicken." From that day on, Vincent found a path of hope in life. After entering the kitchen, Vincent began to find a sense of self-identity. His interest in cooking started after entering the kitchen. He thought of "Chinese Master Chef" Little Master, who said that a chef's job is to bring happiness to people. Every time Vincent cooked, he felt happy and joyful whenever a customer praised him, finding value in his self-identity. Vincent's father also saw the light in Vincent's eyes at this time. Not long after, Vincent felt that this couldn't go on, that it wasn't a long-term solution to just work in an unknown kitchen; he needed to learn professionally. Vincent then went to Sydney, Australia, to study at Le Cordon Bleu, embarking on his culinary journey. Vincent worked very hard during this time, constantly wanting to surpass himself and learn more possibilities. From his second job at a famous scenic restaurant in Sydney, he often worked until midnight, returning home at 1 AM, only to start again at 6 AM the next morning, pushing himself to the limit. Then he worked in a Michelin-starred restaurant in London. One day in his fifth year, Vincent was lying in bed, spacing out, when he suddenly realized that although he had learned a lot during his journey as a chef, he had lost the initial passion for cooking. He found that ever since he started pursuing fame and fortune, wanting to become a famous chef and learn more, he had lost the meaning of life. Vincent eventually returned to Australia to continue being a chef, but he decided to find a job where he only worked 8 hours a day, balancing life and work. That period was Vincent's happiest time, carefree in Australia. His work brought him satisfaction because his relaxed approach to work gave him an endless source of creativity, allowing him to create innovative dishes. On weekends, he would invite friends over for dinner, and cooking became the happiest creative time in Vincent's life. At that time, Vincent thought, "This must be the rest of my life, right?" Until one day, Vincent was lying in bed, spacing out, and suddenly felt a desire for a family. This marked the end of Vincent's seven years as a chef.

In 2017, Vincent returned to Taiwan and met his current wife, Alvena. They quickly fell in love. At that time, Vincent still had work in Australia, so he returned to Australia a month after they got together, and they were separated by distance. However, the power of love was never an obstacle for them. Their cross-border romance led Vincent to return to Taiwan to live with Alvena after just half a year. A year later, they got married due to pregnancy. Little did they know that their happy and joyful time would only last for that short year. Marriage marked the beginning of their trials. Six months into the pregnancy, they discovered that the child had congenital heart disease. Mrs. Alvena was persistent about her child, visiting various hospitals, determined to cure her child even if it meant surgery after birth. Ultimately, the hospital at National Taiwan University gave the final verdict, stating that even with surgery, survival would be difficult. Alvena eventually induced labor when the baby was nearly seven months old. Alvena was very sad at that time. A few months later, Alvena's father passed away, leading Alvena to fall into depression. Vincent, who had been carefree abroad, began to put aside his work. And because Alvena's parents were often absent, she had no concept of health, and Alvena often fell ill. Since the day they got married, Vincent had been taking Alvena to doctors and handling various matters, which also marked the beginning of arguments between Vincent and Alvena. Vincent was unaccustomed to such a lifestyle, having been alone abroad for so long, and the passionate love they once shared gradually disappeared. Alvena also became depressed and unable to come to terms with what she had experienced that year. Vincent's arrogant and selfish personality also began to show. One day, a friend introduced them to a shaman. Alvena's obsession with her child became clear in that instant. From then on, the two developed an interest in the spiritual universe and embarked on a journey to explore spirituality and Buddhism. Each of these paintings represents the fantastical stories they have experienced in recent years. And Vincent, in this journey, found the path in his heart, which was to become an artist.