Minor planet named after iconic Taiwanese artist

Taipei, Feb. 28 (CNA) The Chen Cheng-po Cultural Foundation announced Friday that a minor planet has been named after the renowned late Taiwanese artist Chen Cheng-po (陳澄波).

The International Astronomical Union approved the name designation "Chenchengpo" in January, recognizing Chen as one of the "most iconic figures in Taiwanese art history."

However, the foundation shared the news in a Facebook post on Friday, choosing to make the announcement on the 78th anniversary of the Feb. 28 Incident -- a mass crackdown in which Chen was among those executed by the then-Kuomintang regime.

It expressed hope that the naming would encourage more people to learn about the historical event. Some estimates place the total death toll of the crackdown as high as 20,000.

Born in 1895 during Taiwan's Japanese colonial era, Chen was a prolific artist known for "fusing Chinese and Western techniques" while exploring "avant-garde ideas," the Chen Cheng-po Cultural Foundation said.

He was the first Taiwanese artist to have oil paintings featured in the Japanese Imperial Art Exhibition.

The minor planet was discovered by Lulin Observatory in Nantou County in 2007 and was initially named 2005 EW228.