2012年初【尋畫－現實主義畫家吳耀忠】於紫藤廬的首展入圍台新藝術獎，是個意外的驚喜，也是種實質肯定，尋畫的過程並非已是完成式，而是尚在持續的進行式；在台北當代藝術館展出第十一屆台新藝術獎入圍作品的同時，紫藤廬亦同步展出【尋畫 外一章：現實主義畫家吳耀忠】，揭開這趟旅程的另一章。
榕樹下 滿彩
吳耀忠（1937-1987），師承寫實主義大家李梅樹(Li Mei-shu)，是台灣戰後現實主義繪畫(post-war realist painting)的代表人物。60-70年代，台灣的政治氣氛肅殺，吳耀忠具有理想性格及人道關懷的生命底蘊，引領了他接觸左翼思想，成為「革命」的先行者，畫家關懷的主題由自身的生活世界轉向勞動者與庶民生活，畫風也從寫實主義轉向現實主義。繫獄七年讓飛揚的藝術生命為之挫傷，從此暈染上以酒調出的悲劇色彩，1987年因酗酒病逝，留下了無限的遺憾與懷念，是今日「尋畫」的動因，也是追念。
燙竹婦 多彩
尋畫的過程猶如拼圖一般，每找到一位受訪者，就如同找到拼圖中的一塊片段，讓吳耀忠的整體生命輪廓得以更加清楚地呈現。【尋畫 外一章：現實主義畫家吳耀忠】，除以新尋找到的畫作展品為主，另外還將展出未曾於台北展出過的吳耀忠相關物件，為尋畫紀錄揭開另一章節，續筆勾勒出畫作與收藏者之間的生命故事，也補足了吳耀忠於台灣美術與社會史上缺漏的一頁。
尋畫 外一章：現實主義畫家吳耀忠
展覽日期：2013年5月18日 （六）~ 6月23日（日）
展覽地點：紫藤廬 （台北市大安區新生南路三段16巷1號）
開幕茶會：2013 年5月18日 （六）14:00
主辦單位：社團法人中華紫藤文化協會、交通大學亞太/文化研究室
贊助單位：台新銀行文化藝術基金會
特別感謝展品提供：吳佳謀、賀偉、曾繁宗、戴一義、國立台南大學博物館
Exhibition Period: 18 May 2013 (Sat) ~ 23 June 2013 (Sun)
Exhibition Place: Wistaria Tea House
Open Party: 18 May 2013 (Sat) 14:00pm
In the beginning of 2012, it was a pleasant surprise that the first exhibit of Wu YaoZhong's work held at Wistaria Tea House entitled "Searching for Wu YaoZhong's Painting: Stories of a Realist Artist" was selected as a finalist for the Taishin Arts Awards. This recognition is also a kind of positive affirmation that the search for his paintings is not yet complete, but rather remains a work in progress. As such, at the same time that the works selected for the 11th Taishin Arts Awards are on display at the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) here in Taipei, Wistaria Tea House will exhibit "Another Chapter of Searching for Wu YaoZhong's Paintings: Stories of a Realist Artist" as a further investigation of his recently discovered works, to reveal another chapter in the travelogue of this journey.
Wu YaoZhong (1937-1987), a disciple of Master Realist artist Li MeiShu, was a representative figure in Taiwanese post-war era realist painting. In the desolate political atmosphere that pervaded Taiwan in the 1970's and 1980's, Wu YaoZhong was possessed of an idealistic temperament and loving humanistic spirit, which drew him towards left-wing thought, and inspired him to become a forerunner of the revolution. The subject of the painter's loving concern transferred from his own worldly existence to the lives of workers and the common people, while a stylistic transformation also occurred from aesthetic realism towards social realism. Seven tragic years of imprisonment bruised his soaring artistic spirit, leading to alcoholism, from which he eventually died in 1987. While immeasurable regret and cherished memories of the artist are the motivation for this "Searching..." exhibition, it is also a kind of reminiscence.
The process of searching for paintings is like assembling a puzzle. Each time we find a new painting, it is as if we have managed to assemble a new portion of the puzzle, allowing the entirety of Wu YaoZhong's life to appear even more clearly before our eyes. "Another Chapter of Searching for Wu YaoZhong's Paintings: Stories of a Realist Artist" will focus on newly discovered works, while also displaying previously unseen works by the artists, to reveal a new chapter in this record of the artist's work, in the story between the paintings and those who collect them, and to flesh out for history Wu YaoZhong's place within society and the fine arts of Taiwan.