Kuo put the facial makeups of Ba Jia Jiang in Taiwanese folk belief on the ciphers who underpinned Taiwan’s thriving economy, which ended up in his chef-d’oeuvre Ba Jia Jiang Series.
Atop of each facial makeup hangs a “medal,” which seems to recognize the notable contributions from all walks of life. Honor notwithstanding, they end up empty-handed in reality, which is analogous with the unequal distribution of resources in contemporary Taiwanese society that leads to monopoly and makes the tremendous efforts of those who deserve social welfare and care come to nothing.
J. C. Kuo’s oeuvre tends to be sharply critical in style with common and direct artistic expression, addressing contemporary issues (e.g., the gap between haves and have-nots, excessive consumption, religious myths, the decline of traditional cultures, the interpersonal estrangement, and the rampant popular media) arising from the political development after the lifting of martial law and the social change induced by the economic boom in Taiwan.
