TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A painted mural on a wall in Taichung City was found by a member of the public to be a copy of a painting by Li Zijian (李自健), a well-known Chinese oil painter living in the U.S.
An individual recently posted to a Facebook group that is dedicated to local affairs of Dongshi District, stating that a copycat mural of one of Li’s paintings was found on Xincheng Street, Liberty Times reported. The person said it took only a cursory glance to determine the mural closely resembled one of Li’s masterpieces.
The individual said the mural painter added two oranges in an attempt to make the mural related to Dongshi, which is famous for the quality of its oranges. Even though Dongshi is a rural town, it’s unacceptable to let the “theft” of a master’s works happen here, the post read.
Some netizens made light of the situation, making comments including, “The little girl has gained weight over the years,” and “It’s hilarious. At least the oranges are the painter’s creation, so they might as well keep the oranges.”
Local borough chief Chang Yu-yuan (張玉雲) said that she commissioned a painter from Houli District to paint the mural six years ago and that she had no idea plagiarism would be involved. She said she would contact the mural painter and see if the mural should be removed or take other action to solve the issue, per Liberty Times.
Li Zijian's original oil painting. (李自健's website lizijian.cn photo)