藝術弘法 ‧ 典藏真心
佛光緣美術館總館長 如常
「以文化弘揚佛法」是家師 星雲大師為佛光山所訂下的四大宗旨之一。在弘法的事業中，佛光緣美術館所肩負的責任便是透過藝術推展人間佛教的精神，幾十年來究竟與多少藝術家結緣，也實在難以估算，就以曾在佛光緣展出的，應該也有近千位了。因為辦美術館，因此多年來也一直有人關心佛光山的藝術藏品究竟如何？甚至建議要有計畫性收藏。
記得家師曾說，佛光山有美術館以來，因館中無任何典藏品，本身也無財力像國家美術館一樣，每年有幾千萬的典藏經費預算，因此目前所有的，都是早期在隨順因緣下收藏的；如當代畫家李自健、施金輝、高爾泰等人。一個收藏就是一則故事，但弟子們深知，這些都是師父惜才愛才的悲心與護念；令人欣慰的是，經過幾年，這些畫家們已是人人競相收藏的藝術大家了，佛光山的藏品也成為他們畢生最具代表性的創作！
在佛光山早期收藏的作品裡，有一位大陸名畫家賀大田。說起佛光山與這位在九十年代即馳名國際的畫家，其因緣要溯及1994家師為佛光大學募款所辦的藝術義賣會，畫家託人轉贈一件作品參與義賣，並順利被人收購，種下在館內舉辦展出及百件作品為佛光山收藏的因緣。他的作品以中國湖南農村所畫的老屋系列最為人熟悉。畫家以自己生長的故土作為創作題材，往往最為動人最為深刻，賀大田如此，李自健亦是；故人故土，在彩筆揮灑與線條勾勒之間，深沉得眷念與鄉愁，豐沛的情感盈滿畫布。人與人、人與土地之間的情感，我想那才是作品核心價值所在。
十餘年來，自己在負責海內外二十幾個美術館，乃至又奉師命擔任佛陀紀念館館長一職，在美術館的營運發展上，如何為藝術家辦好一個展覽、為觀眾提供富教育性的活動是為首要，在典藏的管理上，也以如何妥善保存及運用為主，至於如何購買藏品，實非館方的目標或能力所及。因此訪客及展出藝術家的捐贈成為主要的來源，收到捐贈的藏品，也收到藝術家一顆真誠的心。將來無論展出或出版畫冊，這些藝術家這些作品，都在為佛光山的藝術弘法寫下歷史，共同發揮以文化弘揚佛法的功能。
Propagating Dharma through Arts
Collecting with Wholehearted Devout
Curator of Fo Guang Yuan Art Gallery Headquarters Shi Ru Chang
One of the four founding principles, “To Propagate Buddhist Teachings through Cultural Activities” was established by Venerable Master Hsing Yun, founder of Fo Guang Shan Monastery. In the career of Dharma-propagation, to promote the spiritual Humanistic Buddhism through artist programs is the responsibility of Fo Guang Yuan Art Gallery. It is difficult to estimate exactly how many artists becoming acquainted with us over past decades, but have more than thousands artists been able to hold the exhibition at Fo Guan Yuan Art Galley. Some people even suggested us to set up a system for managing the collection, they have been concerning about the conditions of Fo Guang Shan art collections over the years, while we are operating the art galleries.
As I recall Venerable Master Hsing Yun once said, “The gallery does not have any collections since beginning of founded at Fo Guang Shan, and is different from the national museums that received more than ten million in annual budget of collections. Therefore, currently all of our collections have been collected under caused and conditions in the early years, that included the works by contemporary artists such as Li Zijian, Shi Jin Hui, Gao Ertai and more. We truly know that each story in the collection is Venerable Master Hsing Yun treasures and cherishes the talents under his kindness and thought of protection. After passing several years at their great effort, it was gratifying to find these painters have become successful artists. Their collections in Fo Guang Shan were the most representative of artist creation in their lifetime!
Among the Fo Guang Shan early collection’s artists, Mr. He Daitian is one of the most popular Chinese painters, and known as world famous artist during the 1990s. The relationship between Mr. He and Fo Guang Shan is date back to 1994, when Venerable Master Hsing Yun hosted an artist charity bazaar for fundraising of Fo Guang University. Mr. He asked someone to donate one piece of his work for the charity, and was successfully being purchased by collector. Hundreds of his works have been collected and exhibited at Fo Guang Shan since then, and one of his famous work is based on a series of old house in countryside of China in Hunan Province. The profoundly moving theme of creation is depicted one’s own homeland in their paintings that Mr. He Daitian and Li Zijian both having the same theme. The deep homesickness of native land and old friends are full of abundant emotion in which between the lines sketched with coloured drawing in his paintings. I realized that the core of artwork’s value is among people and the emotion of human and land.
I am responsible for the administration of 24 Fo Guang Yuan Art Galleries worldwide more than ten years, and assigned as Director of Fo Guang Shan Buddha Memorial Center by Venerable Master Hsing Yun. In management and development of gallery, our primary task is to run excellent exhibition for artists, also to provide the educational activities for observers. On the managing collections, the mainly purpose is to preserve and appropriate usage of collections. This is not our goal and capable of buying the art works. Therefore, the major source of incomes is from visitors and donation of exhibited artists. The artist’s donations are represented their honest heart. Whether we will exhibit or publish the picture albums in the future, artists and their works would make a find page on Dharma propagation in history, and were working together for the functions of promoting Buddha’s teaching through culture.