EP40 | Crossing the Boundary Between Fashion and Art — Carol Kuan Joins The Great Artist to Deconstruct the Spiritual Aesthetics of Punk Never Dies

An Alumna of NTU Economics and Parsons New York, Redefining the Career Trajectory of the Mature Female Creator Through Contemporary Art

[Taipei] On The Great Artist Podcast (EP40) by DE Global Art Agency, the guest is cross-disciplinary creator Carol Kuan. In this episode hosted by Lo Yi-ting, she shares how she moves freely between fashion, styling, and painting, and deconstructs the spiritual aesthetics behind her newest 2026 series, Punk Never Dies.

Carol Kuan's life résumé is itself a cross-disciplinary legend. A distinguished graduate of the Department of Economics at National Taiwan University and an alumna of Parsons School of Design in New York, she was once active in the fashion world as a judge for makeup competitions; today, in her identity as a contemporary artist, she has redefined the career trajectory of the mature female creator. From the rationality of economics, to the foremost school of design, to the stage of contemporary art, each of her pivots reveals extraordinary courage and talent.

This episode delves into how Carol Kuan moves freely between fashion, styling, and painting. For her, these seemingly different fields in fact share the same aesthetic foundation and creative logic. Her diverse background allows her to stand at a loftier vantage point, integrating the nourishment of different fields to develop an artistic language all her own. Her creation therefore combines the acuity of fashion, the rationality of design, and the sensibility of art.

At the heart of the episode is Carol Kuan's newest 2026 series, Punk Never Dies. With the three spiritual postures of "lying flat," "roaring," and "subverting," she responds to the myriad issues of contemporary society. Punk Never Dies is not merely an art series, but a declaration of attitude — it represents the life posture of a mature female creator who dares to confront reality and boldly subvert frameworks. Through this series, Carol Kuan demonstrates art's profound power to respond to its era and to critique society.

In this episode, Carol Kuan also shares the moving theme of "the self-reinvention of the mature creator." She explores how, in the second half of life, one may seek a new direction and redefine oneself through creation. Her experience proves that age has never been a constraint upon creation, but is rather the nourishment for setting out anew after accumulation and sedimentation. In addition, she speaks freely of her exhibition experiences from Taipei and Tokyo to the international stage, sharing how an artist charts a course toward the world.

Carol Kuan's trajectory spanning foremost scholarship, international fashion, and contemporary art is a vivid example of the academic legitimacy and international careers that The Great Artist champions. Exhibition information: WHATZ International Contemporary Art Fair, 22–24 May 2026, Room 950, Sheraton Grand Taipei Hotel; a solo exhibition will also be held at Congrats Cafe in June and July. You are warmly welcome to come and feel the spirit of punk.