Michael Lin (born in Tokyo, 1964) is a Taiwanese artist widely regarded as a leading figure in contemporary painting in Taiwan. Born in Tokyo to a Taiwanese family, he grew up in Taiwan and, from 1973, in Los Angeles, where he studied at the Otis Art Institute and the Art Center College of Design. He now lives and works between Brussels and Taipei.
After moving to Taipei in 1993, he worked at the artist-run IT Park Gallery, where he staged his first solo show. His flower paintings draw on embroidered pillowcases he remembered from his childhood in the countryside, which he enlarged and reproduced on canvas and across walls. In works such as Interior (1996) and House (1998), he combined painting with audience participation, casting the artist as host and the viewer as guest.
Lin represented Taiwan at the 2001 Venice Biennale and took part in many international biennials. His projects examine the relationship between art, design and architecture, as well as personal and cultural identity. His legacy lies in extending painting into installation and public space.