Chiu Ya-Tsai (or Qiu Yacai, 1949-2013) was a Taiwanese artist, left school at the age of fourteen and began to explore the world of Western literature and Chinese philosophies while experiencing years of compulsory military training in Taiwan. He exposed himself to various works, including the Han dynasty historian Sima Qian to Greek tragedians, Shakespeare and Russian novelist Dostoevysky, revealing his genuine concern for the complexities of human nature.