Born in Kaohsiung and raised in Taipei, Chuan-Li Sun graduated from Fuxing Trade and Arts School, and was originally a graphic and advertising designer. She has been working in advertising design for many years, and like many others, she has been busy juggling her roles in the workplace, in society, and in her family. After several years of deliberation, Chuan-Li Sun returned to illustration in 2013, hoping to rediscover her artistic instincts. She decided to “paint her homeland”, so she went traveling at a snail’s pace on a motorcycle, determined to paint all over Taiwan, and began her rebellious journey.
She continued to hold and was invited to several art exhibitions. In 2015, she even published her first picture book, Auntie's Sketching Journey, and not only participated in the writing and illustrating of the book, but also taught art and design courses to children from remote areas. In 2019, Chuan-Li Sun officially moved to Taitung, and was named in the book Taitung Art, making her a member of the artists in Taitung. “I often ride my motorcycle by myself, eat rice balls for lunch on the roadside, and then just start painting!” Chuan-Li Sun travels through the natural landscapes and alleys of Taitung, and listens to local history and stories. Growing up in the urban jungle of Taipei, she expresses what she experienced through paint and brush strokes, outlining the mountains and the seas, the idyllic pastoral scenery, the ancient buildings and streets, the traditional customs of the tribes, and the life in the streets of Taitung. She depicts the best of Taitung that makes tourists keep coming back and countless settlers determined to stay.
This year, the Royal Explorer will invite every traveler to follow in the footsteps of Chuan-Li Sun, to walk from the city to the countryside, and to paint bit by bit with one’s experience of the unique charm of Taitung's culture as well as the transient splendor made vivid by nature.
