A new study explores the lasting impact of wartime air defense strategies on Taiwan’s artistic expression. The research focuses on the work of artists Peng Ruey-lin, Chiu Tzu-Yen, and Huang Tonghong, revealing how the need for concealment during aerial attacks shaped their creative output. The author, Tsai Min-Ying, argues that practices of hiding from surveillance during wartime have become embedded in Taiwan’s collective memory. This historical experience manifests in contemporary art as a reflection on war, survival, and the construction of identity. The study reveals a continuing dialogue with colonial legacies through artistic practices. Ultimately, it demonstrates how the threat from above influenced not only immediate survival tactics, but also enduring cultural and artistic themes.