Chen Shih-meng was born in 1948 and grew up in Taiwan. Many in his family were well-educated, with his grandfather even working for President Chiang Kai-shek. Chen graduated from National Taiwan University in 1970. He taught in its economics department after gaining his doctorate from Ohio State University in 1978. His childhood did not require him to work on a farm and raise livestock, but he recalled that pigs were commonly regarded as household property during the 1950s and that they could easily be found in backyards around the country. Pork was one of the main sources of protein, used in cooking many kinds of dishes.
When Chen did his compulsory military service, soldiers also raised pigs. "Those who used to be butchers became the most popular people in the military, especially during Lunar New Year," he said, when a lot of cooking had to be done. Although nowadays pigs can rarely be found in urban areas, advocates like Chen always try to keep his pig collectibles within easy reach.
Although Chen would later become a pig enthusiast, he was not particularly fond of them until he received a present at a finance conference in 1986. "My very first pig collectible was nothing extraordinary, just a small bronze pig that was used as a paperweight," Chen recalled. He received it after reading aloud a passage about pigs from the autobiography of former Prime Minister Winston Churchill to a British audience. "Churchill liked pigs very much," Chen said. After Churchill retired, he often took his grandson to his farm, where he raised many animals, especially pigs. "Churchill would touch the pig's head and tell the boy, 'Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals,'" Chen stated.
Churchill's words remind Chen to respect people, and he stresses this same philosophy in his life. Later, he realized that Churchill must have encountered many people with the personalities of dogs and cats, who were either flattering or arrogant. Chen admitted that this kind of situation happened often in politics, which frequently involved conflicting interests.
"Churchill hoped that despite working in politics, he could treat others equally," Chen said. The British statesman's words stuck in his mind because he experienced similar cases at work as well. Even an academic environment had its problems. "A university is not just an ivory tower," Chen said, referring to the fierce battles that broke out in campus politics. He wanted to promote the animal and share the pig's lessons with more people. "Don't just look at people as superior to you or discriminate against those who are less capable," Chen said. He pointed out that mutual respect and fair treatment were the keys to building a harmonious society. "You should always treat others as how you want them to treat you," Chen concluded.
This belief motivated him to collect more pig items. In 1994, he joined a club in the United States called Happy Pig Collectors Club that gathered around 200 members from all over the world. They shared the same passion for pig-inspired memorabilia. According to Chen, a middle-aged British woman in this club got into the Guinness World Records three years ago with a collection of over 10,000 items. Outsiders might be amazed at the quantity and quality of such a collection. Chen said most of the members' collectibles came from renowned companies. Since pigs symbolized fortune and luck in many European countries, quite a few people were willing to spend money on pigs, Chen claimed.
"But I collect things at relatively affordable prices from local stores and stands," he explained. "These pigs increase my joy in life." For instance, a palm-sized pig made with lead thread was his souvenir from New York City. The artist used stiff wire to form the body of the pig, laying down circle after circle. The silver color evoked a sense of modernity. Chen said, "It only cost me US$5 and became part of my collection."
Prices vary depending on the size and the material. Chen indicated some works of art took him a long time to pay off, such as a white-porcelain pig family from Spain, which cost US$900. "It was produced by a famous ceramic company, and the quality of the porcelain is excellent," he said. Chen had some collectibles by famous brands, one example being a piece by Alrado. The work depicts a group of small pigs clustering around a sow, showing the intimacy of family relations. The sculptor clearly presented their happy expressions and graceful body gestures.
He stressed that the price tag was not equal to the value of his collection or how precious something was. "I cannot tell you which one is my favorite because they all bear different features," he said. For instance, a small pig made out of three nuts connected together--the nose, the head and the body--was not especially appealing in color but was outstanding in its creativity, he said. "I like the use of common materials, like the nut pig here," Chen pointed out. "The simple style illustrates the idea of recycling." Creating artwork with things used in daily life could bring about a certain effect that expensive ceramics could not, he said.
A series of local exhibits further emphasized his promotion of environmental preservation. Artists had turned hemp cords, dried loofas and coconuts into chubby pigs. Chen travels to different parts of Taiwan and often buys works done by local artists. For instance, he pointed at a loofa pig feeding her newborn babies. "Local farmers dry gourds in hot weather, and many people wash dishes with them instead of using artificial sponges," he said. "I was delighted when I found out that someone had the creativity to make them into pig figurines." Chen took out several dried loofas that had been shaped into a bunch of young pigs. The strong fiber of the loofa prevented the small pigs from falling apart and could be stored for a long time in dry conditions, he said.
In addition to loofas, coconuts were a good material for creating pig faces, Chen claimed. The shape of the coconut fit the outlines of a pig's round face, so the artist just needed to carve extra lines to portray the expressions of the animal. The dried fruit's dark brown color suggests that the pig must be from warm regions. Chen appreciated the local style of artwork, which did not burden a piece with too many fancy designs. "Hualien's hemp rope and Yilan's rice straw are both rich resources that we can gather and make into works of art," Chen said.
Looking at the collectible that portrayed a mother pig feeding her babies, he said that even though a sow would produce many offspring, piglets would seldom fight with each other to be the leader. Perhaps that is another sign of why both Chen and Churchill fell in love with pigs.
Write to Sandra Shih at sandrashih@mail.gio.gov.tw