Liao gave an excellent account of himself in this formidable environment, earning numerous awards. His oil painting series "Gate Gods" won first prize the first time he entered a local competition, much to the astonishment of the judges. Unfortunately for him, national pride and xenophobia were powerful forces in Japan, and Liao ultimately had to share first-prize honors with a Japanese artist that the judges selected after the fact.
廖修平在這樣的環境下表現不凡、得獎連連，並以油畫「門神系列」參加日本「示現會」美展，首度參賽便獲得首獎，讓主辦單位相當詫異，由於民族主義心態作祟，又另選一幅日籍畫家作品並列第一。