Taiwanese artist whose cartoon ran on AP dies at 77

Taipei, April 7 (CNA) Taiwanese artist Chen Chao-pao (陳朝寶), who had one of his political cartoons distributed by the Associated Press (AP) in 1981, died Sunday at the age of 77, his family said.

Chen's wife told CNA that he had been hospitalized in March with acute pneumonia caused by influenza and passed away at 10:30 a.m. Sunday.

The family also announced the news on Facebook, inviting friends, relatives and former students to pay their respects at his mourning hall.

Chen showed artistic talent from a young age and worked part-time to support his studies at the National Taiwan Academy of Arts, now the National Taiwan University of Arts. He made his debut as a cartoonist in 1972, when his work was published in Crown Magazine.

He later became a regular contributor to the United Daily News, where he was known for his ability to distill sharp punchlines into single-panel cartoons, cartoonist and manga historian Hung Teh-ling (洪德麟) told CNA on Tuesday.

His political cartoon in which a ragged man on a bicycle asked a luxury car driver "Hey! Do you want some financial aid?" gained international attention after being distributed by the AP in 1981.

Despite his success as a cartoonist, Chen later moved to Paris to focus on fine arts, Hung said. Chen once reflected that while cartoons brought him fame and wealth, they felt fleeting, adding: "I need to pursue eternal art."

During his time in France, Chen focused on painting, developing a distinctive style that blended modern ink techniques with oil painting.

French art critic Christophe Comentale listed him as one of the most representative Chinese artists in France in the 20th century.

Chen returned to Taiwan in 2002 and later taught at his alma mater, continuing to create art after retiring in 2012.

At a solo exhibition at Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall in 2021, Chen said: "I am not a good speaker, but my art speaks."