Memory Crimes 記憶犯罪

Edward FuChen Juan 阮福辰

In his current exhibition “Memory Crimes 記憶犯罪” Taiwanese-Canadian visual artist Edward FuChen Juan explores the impact of the authoritarian Kuomintang (KMT) government and Taiwan’s subsequent Truth and Reconciliation Commission on the Taiwanese diaspora. With this body of work, his intention is to pay homage to the victims, their lives, their survival, their descendants, and those who have yet to be acknowledged for their suffering.

On February 28, 1947, a democracy protest in Taipei ended with a public massacre committed by the authoritarian KMT government. It marked the beginning of over 40 years of martial-law dictatorial rule in Taiwan, known as the “White Terror.” During this time citizens were oppressed through acts of imprisonment, torture, and execution; prosecution often took place without trials and process. The population nicknamed the mass arrests  “Thought Crimes.”

Using his skills as a printmaker, papermaker, and inkmaker, Juan has created a welcoming installation within the gallery. Large handmade paper panels are suspended from the ceiling. These sheets were made by Juan using indigenous plants from both Canada and Taiwan and are arranged to suggest the layout of a traditional Taiwanese house. While the village buildings are created through the process of copper plate etching, screen-printed figures are visible only through backlighting to evoke the spirits of former residents.

Edward FuChen Juan lives and works in Vancouver, BC. on the unceded traditional territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and Sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. He identifies as a queer Taiwanese person with ethnic roots to the Hakka and the Plain First Nations People of Taiwan.

July 13 – August 30, 2025

Sunday, July 13, 2025 from 2 – 4 p.m.             Exhibition Reception
Saturday, July 26, 2025 from 1 – 4 p.m.           Paper-making Workshop
Sunday, July 27, 2025 at 2 p.m.                        Artist Talk