吳寬墩（1954－），出生嘉義，臺大醫學院名譽教授。就讀醫學院期間，即展現對繪畫的高度興趣與天份，開始嘗試以寫實畫風描繪自然土地與生活所見所感之人情景物，至今仍創作不輟。
早期作品畫面多運用強烈的光影明暗效果與對比色調，表現空間深度，營造充滿詩意與想像的靜謐氛圍。著重表現個人思維與情感及其隱含的故事性，而刻意忽略對形式細節的描繪。長年累積對於土地正義、環境永續、權力衝突、科技倫理等議題的觀察與思考，吳寬墩於2014年開始以此作為繪畫創作的核心概念，從醫者/畫家的跨域視角揭示當代社會的現實與矛盾，並以想像、虛構的手法，發展出不同畫風的系列作品，例如探討土地正義的「挖土機系列」（2014），以風景畫為背景，利用構圖突顯象徵破壞環境的挖土機，但畫面與色調質樸從容，可見其試圖以直接但溫和的姿態回應環境衝突議題。又如「撫平系列」（2021），以熨斗作為撫慰傷痛的象徵，透過簡化細節的筆法與色調，間接隱晦地表達噤聲年代的傷痕如何深刻，以及傳遞對未來的祝福與盼望。
有時也巧妙挪用東西方繪畫經典圖像，憑藉畫家個人的想像與論述，將其符號化，並揉合文學、神話故事、歷史事件與社會時事，重新建構創造出新的概念意義，例如「戰爭和平系列」（2019-2021）與「疫情系列」（2020-2022），不僅是對藝術巨匠的致敬，也企圖利用豐富且多重的象徵意義及富有創新試驗的表現手法，提醒戰爭與疾病如何影響著人類的生存與未來。
綜觀吳寬墩的藝術創作，由描繪風景靜物開始思索藝術的社會意義，進而發展出極具社會關懷的系列作品，以開放的視野、敘事隱喻的符號語彙及突破傳統框架的表現技法，賦予視覺圖像更多元自由的對話空間，形塑出個人敏銳且鮮明的繪畫風格特色。
本網站展出吳寬墩自1973年至今，各階段的部分代表作，以歷次展覽結合時間序，呈現其不同階段的創作風貌與轉變軌跡，以及他持續迸發的藝術實踐能量。
策展經歷﹙國立臺灣大學醫學人文博物館﹚：
生命的誕生、台灣人哪裡來、人景人、蛇杖與桂冠、發光的郵票、航向福爾摩沙、上醫醫國
著作：
2008 永遠的二號館
2017 上醫醫國
2017 銀髮醫學醫學人生
歷年展覽：
1995 臺大醫院醫師聯展（聯展人：林憲、蕭裕源、張天鈞）
2012 油畫創作首展 國父紀念館德明藝廊
2014 土地與人情 嘉義市文化局
2015 土地與正義 國立臺灣師範大學德群畫廊
2016 安全家園 中國醫藥大學藝術中心
2016 安全家園 國立成功大學藝術中心
2018 藝術之後 張榮發基金會國際會議中心
2019 隱藏的記憶 國防醫學院圖書館
2019 從醫學走到藝術 M 到 A 的距離 國立臺灣大學醫學人文博物館
2020 杏林藝彩聯展 臺南市美術館
2022 生命的皺褶－吳寬墩醫師個展 國立臺灣大學總圖書館日然廳
2023 靈魂的渡口－吳寬墩戴瀚成創作聯展 國立臺灣師範大學美術系德群畫廊
Wu Kuan-Dun (1954–), born in Chiayi, is an Honorary Professor at the National Taiwan University College of Medicine. During his time in medical school, he already demonstrated a strong interest and talent in painting. He began exploring realist techniques to depict scenes, people, and objects inspired by the land, nature, and everyday life—an artistic pursuit he continues to this day.
His early works often employed dramatic contrasts of light and shadow and bold color contrasts to create spatial depth and a tranquil atmosphere filled with poetry and imagination. Emphasizing personal thoughts, emotions, and their implicit narratives, Wu intentionally downplayed detailed depictions of form. Over the years, he has developed a deep interest in themes such as land justice, environmental sustainability, power dynamics, and the ethics of technology. Since 2014, these issues have become the core concepts of his artistic practice. From his dual perspective as a physician and an artist, Wu exposes the realities and contradictions of contemporary society. Through imaginative and fictional approaches, he has developed series with distinct styles—for example, the “Excavator Series” (2014), which explores land justice by featuring excavators (symbolizing environmental destruction) within serene landscape compositions. Despite the heavy theme, the tone and palette remain modest and calm, reflecting his intent to address environmental conflicts with a direct yet gentle stance.
Another example is the “The Soothing Series” (2021), in which the iron symbolizes comfort for emotional pain. Through simplified brushstrokes and subdued colors, Wu indirectly and subtly conveys the deep wounds of a silenced era, while also expressing blessings and hope for the future.
He also skillfully appropriates iconic imagery from both Eastern and Western art history. Infused with personal imagination and interpretation, these works become symbolic and integrate elements from literature, mythology, historical events, and current affairs. In doing so, Wu reconstructs and generates new conceptual meanings. Notable examples include the “War and Peace Series” (2019–2021) and the “Pandemic Series” (2020–2022), which not only pay homage to artistic masters but also serve as reflections on how war and disease affect human existence and the future—using layered symbolism and experimental techniques to convey these messages.
Looking broadly at Wu Kuan-Dun’s artistic journey, he began by painting landscapes and still lifes and gradually evolved toward exploring the social significance of art. He developed a series of works rich in social concern, characterized by an open perspective, a symbolic visual language filled with narrative metaphors, and expressive techniques that break traditional boundaries. These elements together shape a distinctive, sensitive, and powerful personal painting style.
This website presents selected representative works by Wu Kuan-Dun from 1973 to the present. Organized chronologically in conjunction with past exhibitions, the showcase reveals the evolution of his creative expression over time and highlights the enduring vitality of his artistic practice.