ascendingcloud.art

About me

When I grew up in Taiwan, Chinese calligraphy was a required course in elementary and middle schools. I was fascinated by the tool of weasel hair made brushes and the material of thin rice paper and became interested in practicing how to use them as best as I could. Many years later, this childhood interest provides the foundation for bringing me into the art world of traditional Chinese brush painting. Trained as a sociologist professionally in the past, I had always been interested in how art offered critical creative skills essential to human life in general and modern society in particular. In addition, my experiences of being an immigrant nourish my understanding of cultural differences and inspire me to bridge different cultures. Those backgrounds have impacted my paintings. In traditional Chinese painting, especially in the tradition of Literati painting, by maneuvering brush to draw lines, dots, and make strokes, artists bring about paintings that represent their perceptions of reality and impressions of the world, which conveys their feelings, thoughts, and, ultimately, their spirits. Therefore, painting to communicate with audience their inner cultivation is traditional Chinese painting artists’ primary objective. In this way, the artists do not seek to represent a painting object in a meticulously realistic way. Instead, they try to express their inner world by painting the object as construed in their minds. This painting style is called freehand brushwork, Xie Yi (寫意). My current artistic endeavors follow this tradition of Xie Yi. In the long history of traditional Chinese painting, there have been many schools of painting. My current works especially with the subjects of birds and flowers are influenced by Lingnan school of painting, specifically by the works of Chao Shao-an. I am attracted by the abundant and bold colors used by Lingnan artists as well as by how they arrange blank space in their paintings. Lingnan artists’ use of colors is an innovative way that revolutionizes traditional Chinese painting. Lingnan school is well known for its advocacy of introducing Western painting styles to traditional Chinese painting. The ingenious and vivacious application of colors shows its appreciation for Western painting styles like Impressionism. I feel intrinsically connected to Lingnan artists’ work in bridging Chinese and Western painting world. Moreover, Lingnan artists are keen on having blank space on their paintings. Blank space is an important element in traditional Chinese painting. It is essential for bringing out not only the real but also the surreal. In other words, as mentioned above, in the tradition of Literati painting, the aesthetic philosophy—artists communicate the intangible spirit through painting tangible matters—implicates the important role of blank space, an intangible thing that can only be seen through those existing tangibly. Vice versa, it can also be true that tangible things cannot be seen without space. Lingnan artists attempt to preserve this critical element of traditional Chinese painting in their works. In my current works, I hope to explore the idea of harmony. Such idea of harmony is demonstrated on two levels. First, it is illuminated through the arrangements of natural objects such as flowers, insects, and birds, i.e. the coexisting relationships between different living beings on the paintings. Second, it is embedded in the painting process. In the painting process, I seek a state as best as I can in which the combining work of ink, water, and colors and the brush maneuvering work are carried out with the sense of balance. Many practitioners of traditional Chinese painting have claimed that the painting process is like calming meditative work. Line by line, dot by dot, stroke by stroke, one could through brush work gently realizes the picture in one’s inner world. Such patience and deliberation are beneficial to us who live in an often chaotic and confusing world. Therefore, I would like to share this ancient art tradition with whoever comes to appreciate my works. With my deepest gratitude, I hope you can find harmony and balance through the viewing.

When I grew up in Taiwan, Chinese calligraphy was a required course in elementary and middle schools. I was fascinated by the tool of weasel hair made brushes and the material of thin rice paper and became interested in practicing how to use them as best as I could. Many years later, this childhood interest provides the foundation for bringing me into the art world of traditional Chinese brush painting.

Trained as a sociologist professionally in the past, I had always been interested in how art offered critical creative skills essential to human life in general and modern society in particular. In addition, my experiences of being an immigrant nourish my understanding of cultural differences and inspire me to bridge different cultures. Those backgrounds have impacted my paintings.

In traditional Chinese painting, especially in the tradition of Literati painting, by maneuvering brush to draw lines, dots, and make strokes, artists bring about paintings that represent their perceptions of reality and impressions of the world, which conveys their feelings, thoughts, and, ultimately, their spirits. Therefore, painting to communicate with audience their inner cultivation is traditional Chinese painting artists’ primary objective. In this way, the artists do not seek to represent a painting object in a meticulously realistic way. Instead, they try to express their inner world by painting the object as construed in their minds. This painting style is called freehand brushwork, Xie Yi (寫意). My current artistic endeavors follow this tradition of Xie Yi.

In the long history of traditional Chinese painting, there have been many schools of painting. My current works especially with the subjects of birds and flowers are influenced by Lingnan school of painting, specifically by the works of Chao Shao-an. I am attracted by the abundant and bold colors used by Lingnan artists as well as by how they arrange blank space in their paintings. Lingnan artists’ use of colors is an innovative way that revolutionizes traditional Chinese painting. Lingnan school is well known for its advocacy of introducing Western painting styles to traditional Chinese painting. The ingenious and vivacious application of colors shows its appreciation for Western painting styles like Impressionism. I feel intrinsically connected to Lingnan artists’ work in bridging Chinese and Western painting world.

Moreover, Lingnan artists are keen on having blank space on their paintings. Blank space is an important element in traditional Chinese painting. It is essential for bringing out not only the real but also the surreal. In other words, as mentioned above, in the tradition of Literati painting, the aesthetic philosophy—artists communicate the intangible spirit through painting tangible matters—implicates the important role of blank space, an intangible thing that can only be seen through those existing tangibly. Vice versa, it can also be true that tangible things cannot be seen without space. Lingnan artists attempt to preserve this critical element of traditional Chinese painting in their works.

In my current works, I hope to explore the idea of harmony. Such idea of harmony is demonstrated on two levels. First, it is illuminated through the arrangements of natural objects such as flowers, insects, and birds, i.e. the coexisting relationships between different living beings on the paintings. Second, it is embedded in the painting process. In the painting process, I seek a state as best as I can in which the combining work of ink, water, and colors and the brush maneuvering work are carried out with the sense of balance.

Many practitioners of traditional Chinese painting have claimed that the painting process is like calming meditative work. Line by line, dot by dot, stroke by stroke, one could through brush work gently realizes the picture in one’s inner world. Such patience and deliberation are beneficial to us who live in an often chaotic and confusing world. Therefore, I would like to share this ancient art tradition with whoever comes to appreciate my works. With my deepest gratitude, I hope you can find harmony and balance through the viewing.