spirit resonance: a new world of chinese ink painting

RONINGALLERY

Spirit Resonance

A New World of Chinese Ink Painting

RONIN GALLERY

The Largest Collection of Japanese Prints in the U.S.Contemporary Asian Art

Spirit Resonance


425 Madison Ave. New York, NY 10017

January 2015© 2015 RONIN GALLERY All Rights Reserved

“Spirit Resonance is a gift of the heavens, a natural talent one is born with. It pours straight out of one’s soul.” -Xie He. 6th Century

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pirit Resonance is a timeless concept in a rapidly shifting world. Its doctrine

captures the profound expression of an artist’s true greatness through the power of creation. Driven by a newfound free-dom of expression, today’s Chinese artists are flourishing as never before. And as the current market experiences a period of constant transformation, these innovations of the present draw on a rich artistic past.

Written in the 6th century, Xie He’s The Six Points to Consider When Judg-ing a Painting remains essential to con-temporary art in China. This foundational work emphasizes the physical aspects of painting as well as the intangible, and arguably most important, principle of Spirit Resonance: the understanding that something ineffable is transmitted from artist to artwork in the act of crea-tion and that the use of brush, ink, and paper is best suited for this spiritual and expressive act. Ronin Gallery is pleased to present Spirit Resonance: A New World of Chinese Ink Painting, a curated selection of some of the most exciting ink artists working in China today. Each artist plants his or her roots deep within the spiritual, material and expressive past of ink, color and paper.

As implements of spiritual exchange, ink, color and paper engage in an inti-mate relationship with contemporary artistic forms and techniques. While the tradition of Western art is brimming with paintings on canvas, the tradition of Chi-nese painting has always relied on paper as the foundation of expression. Eastern paper differs from that of the West: rath-er than stiff wood pulp, both xuan and washi paper result from a combination

of wood fibers, rice, and organic matter. The mixture of these materials makes the resultant paper incredibly absorbent and strong: an ideal surface for the ex-pressive and nuanced stroke of a brush.

Imbued with classical concepts and turning to traditional materials, contem-porary Chinese artists are looking into their rich history, even as they firmly position their work in the present. Just as the literati painters of the Song and Yuan Dynasties valued the individuality and creative potential in the marriage of ink and paper, today’s artists employ these same qualities in the context of a new age. Whether using bright, vibrant color, black ink or experimenting with line, these artists assert the inherent elo-quence of traditional materials.

As works on paper command the most coherent center of the contem-porary Chinese art market, it is clear that the expressive potential of paper is uniquely powerful. In this exhibit, past and present intertwine in paintings of both established and emerging artists. From the ethereal to the vibrant, Spirit Resonance: A New World of Chinese Ink Painting presents a contemporary understanding of a enduring spirit.

Spirit Resonance


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History of Ink Painting in China

ouching animal-hair brushes to cloth, the artists and calligraphers of the

Warring States Period began a long his-tory of ink art. During the Han Dynasty, brushwork became a narrative tool, depicting a complex story of creation myths and worldly values upon the burial

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shrouds of the wealthy. These images, carefully rendered in ink, were not mere-ly mimetic representations of the earthly world, but also functioned as deeply spiritual acts of communication with the heavens. By the 6th century, painting was elevated to a level of serious phil-osophical discourse, ushered in by Xie He’s treatise The Six Points to Consider when Judging a Painting.

At the dawn of the Tang Dynasty, painting was largely centered in the court, where an academic style was used to depict aspects of aristocratic life. This period also saw the development of shan shui, or landscape painting. Translating to “water”(shan) and “mountains” (shui), these works focused on the immensity of nature and the cosmos in relation to the miniscule nature of human actions, an important Confucian ideal.

As the stability of the Tang Dynasty collapsed in the first years of the 10th century, artistic expression rapidly shifted in response to the chaos. It was not until the Song Dynasty that political stability enabled renewed cultural expression. Imperial painters began to reinterpret the inherent beauty of nature and the genre of the “monumental” landscape was born. Artists turned from the all-too-real violence of the human world to the more peaceful and meditative retreats of the mountains, lakes, and streams.

Additionally, the Song Dynasty ush-ered in a period of increasing power for Confucian scholars. These scholars followed ideals of morality, hierarchy, and cultivation of the self. These beliefs demanded a high degree of literacy and study of the arts, especially calligraphy and painting. The scholar-officials who were particularly adept in painting, called

1. Wen Fong, “Chao Meng-Fu’s Revolution,” in Song and Yuan Painting, Metropolitan Museum of Art, 85-86.

the literati painters, valued a gestural spontaneity similar to calligraphy. Literati ink paintings were most often mono-chrome and incorporated poetry and image together in a highly sophisticated, atmospheric way. Ultimately, these works focused not only on the expres-sion of the thing depicted, but also on the expressive inner nature of the artist.

At the beginning of the Yuan Dynasty, Mongol rule stirred feelings of subjuga-tion among the existing intellectual class. An increasing sense of alienation and separation from both state and culture pushed many of the Yuan Dynasty lit-erati painters to incorporate a sense of hermetic monasticism and withdrawal from the world into their paintings. As the genre “landscapes of the mind” began to surge in popularity, so did the importance of the “heart print,” a visual manifestation of the artist’s emotional state. Among certain circles, this aspect was one of the most important qualities of ink painting.1

Throughout the Ming and the Qing Dynasties, manners and methods of ink painting diversified. The popularity of the established literati paintings per-sisted, but the Ming Dynasty witnessed the reintroduction of more classical, academic methods of painting. By the three-hundred-year-long Qing Dynasty, there were three very loosely defined categories of painters: the traditionalists, the individualists, and the professional court painters. Each group embraced distinct stylistic and expressive qualities and painted for different audiences.

China’s tumultuous twentieth cen-tury put a great deal of constraint on the development and success of its artists. The fall of the Imperial lineage system in


1911 ushered in an era of Chinese radi-calism and revolution. The first several decades of the twentieth century saw artists partnering with radical factions to create art that was equally exciting, dramatic, and revolutionary. Yet, the eventual solidification of power under the communist state subsumed most artistic production under the regime ac-cepted mode of social realism painting. By the 1960s and 1970s, the Cultural Revolution stifled the presence of artis-tic innovation and expression in China. With absolutely no political support, no chance of independent financial gain, and the increasing reality of outright prosecution, Chinese artists went silent.

Chinese Contemporary Ink Painting

oday’s shui mo, or ink painting, has found new life thanks to a group of

innovative artists. Both Cindy Ng Sio Leng and Zhang Yuanfeng showcase the incredible potential of ink as a medium. While Cindy echos the literati “land-scapes of the mind,” Zhang considers the incredible mutability of ink through her delicate insects. Further examining the material nature of the medium, Wang Weiqi explores the nuances of lineless meigu (boneless) technique in her animal portraits. Turning to the shan shui tradi-tion of the Tang dynasty, Xu Ming and Yeh Fang consider the landscape of modern China.

As Xu Ming presents a current world in a classical style, Yeh Fang offers a contemporary interpretation of this Tang innovation. Adopting aerial perspective in his paintings and designing traditional

Chinese gardens worldwide, Yeh Fang captures the underlying harmony of shan shui on paper. Through the work of Yeh Lan and Wang Qian, the ancient Bird and Flower genre becomes fresh and inventive. Yeh Lan reinterprets the da xieyi style in vibrant color and ab-straction, while Wang Qian executes classical compositions in a hybrid of the conflicting gonbi (meticulous) and meigu styles. Though the customary copying of masterpieces once discouraged modern artists from the genre, it is clear that ink painting is no longer an old fashioned art form.

Employing various techniques and styles, these contemporary artists use the freedom and natural grace of the art form to incite a dialogue between contemporary China and the rest of the world. In the past ten years, an increas-ing number of museums and galleries have presented diverse exhibitions of contemporary Chinese ink painting. Shui mo (ink painting) has entered into a period of transformation, becoming a revolutionary and experimental mani-festation of a traditional practice. A new generation of innovative artists has not only emerged, but has truly blossomed, elevating ink painting to new heights and testing classical boundaries. Working in both black and color ink, today’s ink artists are reinvigorating the Chinese art scene with personal works that question tradition, memory and meaning.

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Cindy Ng Sio Leng (b. 1966)

An ink artist living and working in Beijing, Cindy Ng was born in Macao. Cindy studied etching at the Academy of Visual Arts at Macao, however it wasn’t until 1992 that she discovered her true passion: ink. Cindy explains, the “routine of washing brushes be-came an illuminating moment when I observed the beauty of the ink draining into the sink.” Discarding concrete forms and aesthetic convention, she, in her own words, “lets water and ink splash and flow freely across huge sheets of paper, as if mountains, gullies and waves have all melted under the artists own will, and have been transformed into a series of poetic landscapes of her imagining.” Recently, Cindy began explorations of new surfaces, innovating the use of traditional Chinese gloss on canvas in 2003, and branching into the realm of photography and

video art in 2005. Whether employing traditional Chinese xuan paper, Western canvas, or the ever-developing technology of photography and videography, Cindy captures the beauty inherent in an ancient and fundamental medium. She has held numerous solo museum exhibitions in prestigious institutions, such as the Seattle Art Museum, as well as received awards internationally.

吴少英

Select Exhibitions/ Awards/ Publications

2011 “Tao of Nature,” Group Exhibition, Museum of Contemporary Art, Shanghai, China2010 “Time Unfrozen,” Group Exhibition, Taipei Fine Art Museum, Taiwan2009 “Mirrored Exhibition,” Group Exhibition, The True Color Museum, Suzhou, China2007 “Ink in Motion,” Solo Exhibition, Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, USA2007 “Ink Shadow,” Solo Exhibition, Today Art Museum, Beijing, China2007 “The 3rd Chengdu Biennial,” Group Exhibition, Chengdu, China2005 “Macao Image,” Group Exhibition, Daejeon Fast, Daejeon Museum of Art, Korea2005 “Peace,” Solo Exhibition, Ju Ming Museum, Taiwan2005 “Unseen History,” Group Exhibition Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts, Taiwan2004 “Sounds of Silence,” Solo Exhibition, The Taipa Houses Museum, Macao1996 “Traveling,” Solo Exhibition, Taipei Fine Arts Museum, Taiwan


Ink 6Cindy Ng Sio Leng

Date: 2013-2014Size: 31” x 29.25”ref. #: CHR062



Date: 2013-2014Size: 43.25” x 13.25”ref. #: CHR069

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Yeh Lan (b. 1955)

Born in Guanyun, Jiangsu, Yeh Lan attended Nanjing Art School where he studied early Chi-nese ink painting, fostering an understanding of the traditional spirit. He was particularly drawn to da xieyi, a traditional style focused on portraying the spirit of a subject rather than the details of its physical form. In his studio Mogeng Zhai, or “House of Quietly Cultivating,” Yeh Lan forgoes the formulaic symbolism of traditional painting for more personal experiences and abstraction. Using vibrant color and varying texture, he pre-sents a fresh interpretation of the Bird and Flow-er genre. In place of classical tropes, Yeh Lan weaves memories and emotions into his works, focusing not necessarily on the subject matter, but on his own emotional expression.

Yeh Lan’s work has been exhibited through-out China, won awards internationally, and is

held in prominent collections worldwide. Additionally, he has been featured in art journals such as Art World and Contemporary Artists and Calligraphers, as well as in special reports by both the China Central Television and the Jiangsu Television Sta-tion. Yeh Lan is a member of China Artists’ Association and serves as deputy director of Jiangsu Province Chinese Painting Academy’s Institute of Bird and Flower Painting. His works already command a large following in China and we are pleased to present these works in the United States.


2012, “30 artists with the most market potential and academic value” 2008 Contemporary Bird and Flower,” China Yi Bao International Media Corporation and Heibei Art Institution2005 Published Collection of Ye Lan Works and Techniques of Contemporary Masters2005 “Spring Night,” Awarded at the first China Xieyi Exhibition2004 “Lotus Pond Under the Moon,” 10th National Art Exhibition2003 “Lotus Pond in Early Summer” and “Golden Pond,” Complete Collection of Contemporary Birds and Flower Paintings Exhibition2000 “Lotus Pond in Early Summer,” 6th China Art Festival - Chinese Painting Exhibition1999 “The Golden Pond,” received the Award of Excellence, 9th National Art Exhibition1998 “The Golden Pond,” Third Place, 1998 Jincai Award for Peony Cup New artists Award, China Federation of Literary and Art Circles and China Artists’ Association1994 “Sunset onto the Autumn Pond,” 8th National Art Exhibition1988 First prize at Hawaii AMFAC Art Competition

叶烂


Lotus in SummerYeh Lan

Date: 2013 - 2014Size: 33” x 22”ref. #: CHR053


Poetic SceneryYeh Lan

Date: 2013 - 2014Size: 33” x 22”ref. #: CHR054


White Lotus and Red LotusYeh Lan

Date: 2013 - 2014Size: 31.25” x 30.25”ref. #: CHR048


Enjoy Life Among the Lotus FlowerYeh Lan



Lost in the Lotus FlowerYeh Lan

Date: 2013 - 2014Size: 18” x 17.5”ref. #: CHR045

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Yeh Fang (b. 1962)

Yeh Fang graduated from Suzhou College of Arts in 1983. A prominent artist in the Chinese contempo-rary art scene, his work springs from the Chinese garden. Raised in the “Bi” garden in Suzhou, Yeh Fang evokes a lush, natural world through both his ink paintings and his intricately landscaped, classi-cal Chinese gardens. As stated at the 53rd Venice Biennale, “we can never tell which came first; the garden or the painting, or maybe they appeared together.” Whether in the form of a physical garden or an ink painting, Yeh Fang invites his guest into a dream, into a lyrical world of classical beauty. Though the gardens of his youth were largely de-stroyed during the Cultural Revolution, he seeks to express the “blossom realm in his heart” in a con-temporary context. Employing an aerial perspective,

Yeh Fang’s paintings offer a modern, meditative consideration of traditional Chinese art and architecture.

Yeh Fang serves as a Senior Painter in the Suzhou Academy of Chinese Painting and serves as a member of the Jiangsu Branch of the Association of Artists in China. His paintings are collected worldwide and he builds and maintains gardens throughout Europe and China. Notably, his work can be found in the Museum of Contemporary Art Shanghai and was featured in the 53rd Venice Biennale.


2009 The 53rd Biennale of Venice, Venice, Italy2009 Chinese Gardens For Living, Brussels, Belgium2008 Farewell to Post-Colonialism - The Third Guangzhou Triennial, Guangdong Museum of Art, Guangzhou, China2007 Artist of the year: Literary Gamers, Art Strategies, Taipei, Taiwan2006 Busan Biennale, Busan, Korea2006 Envisage, Museum of Contemporary Art, Shanghai, China2004 Art on the Beach: Sculptures, St. Tropez, France2004 Construction of Nanshipiji: Yellow Box, Taipei Fine Arts Museum, Taipei, Taiwan2004 Openasia: International Exhibition of Sculptures and Installations, Venice, Italy2004 Taipei Chinese Character Festival, Museum of History, Taipei, Taiwan2001 Romance of Gardens: Modern Ink Painting, Taipei, Taiwan1998 “Everything as You Wish,” selected for The 1998 Nominee Exhibition of Masterpieces of Modern Chinese Painting, Malaysia1996 “Dream of Memory,” Silver Medal, The 1996 Exhibition of Works by Jiansu Young Artists, Nanjing, China

葉放


Artist’s preferred installationWorks available for individual sale


Abstract #1Yeh FangMemories of a Garden


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Xu Ming (b. 1965)

Born in Suzhou, Xu Ming received formal training from the Suzhou Art and Design Insti-tute and the China Academy of Art. His work spans a broad range of disciplines, including calligraphy and traditional Chinese shan shui (mountain-water landscape) painting. While Xu Ming incorporates Western compositional techniques into his work, these qualities never overshadow the deeply traditional undertone of his painting style. He states, “I would like to ensure I inherited something from the past, but also developed it.” While he carries on a rich artistic tradition, Xu Ming integrates his own impressions of daily life into his modern take on shan shui.

Xu Ming’s works have been included in numerous group exhibitions within China and Japan. In addition, the Gu Wu Xuan Publish-ing Company published his complete personal portfolio entitled Xu Ming’s Shan Shui Works Collection in 2008. Xu Ming is a professor of Chinese Painting at the Suzhou Art and Design Institute and a member of Jiangsu Province Art-ists’ Association.

Select Exhibitions/ Publications

2008 Xu Ming’s Works of Shan Shui, published by Gu Wu Xuan2001 Featured artist, International Ink Wash Painting Exhibition, Japan

徐明


Chinese New YearXu Ming

Date: 1990 - 2000Size: 31.75” x 27”ref. #: CH010


Spring RainXu Ming

Date: 2014Size: 17.5” x 13.5” ref. #: CHR033


Village by the StreamXu Ming

Date: 2014 Size: 17.5” x 13.5”ref. #: CHR040


Mountain ViewXu Ming

Date: 2014Size: 17.5” x 13.5”ref. #: CHR037


Mountain #2Xu Ming


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Wang Qian (b. 1982)

Born in Laiwu City, Shandong province, Wang attended the China Academy of Art. Focusing on Bird and Flower imagery, Wang finds harmony between two opposing styles: gongbi (meticulous) and meigu (boneless). In meticulous painting, every detail is defined with high precision. Boast-ing elegant color and emphasizing line quality, this style tends to be more descriptive than interpre-tive. In contrast, boneless painting refers to a style devoid of line that delineates form through careful tonal variation. Through the striking union of these styles, Wang renders traditional subjects and styles in a distinctly contemporary context. Wang Qian currently lives and works in Suzhou.


2009 “Autumn Sun,” The First National Chinese Painting Lined Art Exhibition2008 “Warm Springs,” National Small Gongbi Painting Exhibition2007 “Clear Fragrance,” first place, Shandong Province Laiwu City Municipal Party Committee2006 “Reed Warbler and the First Snow on a Sunny Day,” Zhejiang Birds and Flowers Award of Excellence

王骞


Butterflies Flying to Peonies in Qingming FestivalWang Qian

Date: 2014Size: 55” x 29”ref. #: CHR056


SummerWang Qian



Sorrow of SeparationWang Qian

Date: 2014Size: 13.75” x 18”ref. #: CHR059


Butterfly and PeoniesWang Qian


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Wang Weiqi (b. 1988)

Wang evokes the charm of traditional ink painting through tender portraits of dogs and cats. For-saking black lines for meigu (boneless) ink wash technique, Wang uses the collision of colors and the underlying paper tone to elegantly craft the personality of each animal. Drawing on the active nature of her materials, Wang’s brush paintings flow against the negative space like ink suspended in water. While the fur is depicted as soft and gently flowing, the eyes of the animals are calmly piercing. Wang explains, “[I] use language with the charm of brush painting to construct a lively animal kingdom.”

Wang Weiqi is an emerging ink artist in the con-temporary Chinese art scene. A graduate student from Suzhou University, Wang has been featured in multiple exhibitions, including the New Wu Style traveling exhibition in June 2013. Her brush paint-ings have won multiple awards and have been featured in the Second Suzhou Art Exhibition.


2013 New Wu Style and June Breeze – The Second Suzhou Art Works Exhibition2013 New Wu Style, Traveling Exhibition at various colleges and universities

王玮琦


WrinklesWang Weiqi

Date: 2014Size: 26” x 26”ref. #: JP6024


I’m SorryWang Weiqi

Date: 2014Size: 17.75” x 10.5”ref. #: JP6026


Be My FriendWang Weiqi

Date: 2014Size: 25.5” x 25.5”ref. #: JP6040


So TiredWang Weiqi

Date: 2014Size: 13” x 12.5”ref. #: JP6032


Cat and ButterflyWang Weiqi

Date: 2014Size: 26” x 26”ref. #: JP5943

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Zhang Yuanfeng (b. 1984)

Zhang Yuanfeng is a rising ink artist in China’s pros-pering art scene. Zhang Yuanfeng graduated from the Chinese Painting Department of the prestigious Central Academy of Fine Arts with a B.A in 2008 and M.A in 2011. With her imagination and mastery of traditional techniques, she brings the rich tradi-tion of Chinese ink painting into the contemporary realm. Zhang Yuanfeng is particularly known for her humorous and abstract depictions of fragile, yet in-exhaustible insects. Through her delicate application of ink, she reveals the magic and metamorphoses in everyday life.

Born in Shan Xi in 1984, Zhang Yuanfeng now lives and works in Beijing. She has been published in Oriental Art, 2009 In The World, 2010 Expression of Drawing, and Master and Us. Her paintings have been exhibited in various galleries, museums, and biennials in China and abroad.


2014 Paris Art Fair, Paris, France2013 Art13 London Art Fair, London, UK2013 “The Future Masters of China,” Wenxuan Art Gallery, Chengdu, China2012 “The Carousel: New Shuimo,” Shouying Art Space, 798, Beijing, China2012 “Shen You Ji,” Liang Art Center, Beijing, China 2011 “Test Site: Contemporary Shuimo,” Red Star Gallery, 798, Beijing, China2010 “The Expressions of Drawing: Japan, China, Korea, Germany Joint Exhibitions,” Seoul, Korea and Tokyo, Japan2008 “Pendant Hang Floating Mix,” Third Place, Central Academy of Fine Arts Outstanding Works exhibition2005 “Central Academy of Fine Arts Outstanding Works exhibition,” Second Place

张原凤


Standing in LineZhang Yuanfeng



Drifting North (to Beijing)Zhang Yuanfeng



Love and PainZhang Yuanfeng



State of AffairsZhang Yuanfeng


IntrospectionZhang Yuanfeng

Date: 2014 Size: 18.5” x 18.25”ref. #: CHR007


The End of LonelinessZhang Yuanfeng



Bird-and-Flower Painting (花鸟画) - Paintings of this style primarily present birds and flowers, however this genre also includes depictions of fish, insects, plants and other types of animals. Bird-and-Flower painting matured as a style during the Tang Dynasty, at which point it was di-vided into two primary schools: xie sheng and xie yi.Da Xieyi (大写意) – A traditional painting style that focuses on conveying the spirit of a subject rather than the details of its physical form. Du Hua (读画) - “To read a painting,” the Chinese way of appreciating a painting. According the Du Hua, to read a Chinese painting is to enter into a dialogue with the past through the act of unrolling and viewing a scroll. Gongbi (工笔) - Meaning “meticulous” painting, this painting style employs highly detailed brushstrokes to portray details with high precision. Gongbi paintings are often richly colored and depict figural or narrative subjects. In China’s history, this style was used by court painters and independent workshops alike.Guo-Hua (国画) – Translates to a ‘national’ or ‘Chinese’ style of painting and stands in opposi-tion to the Western styles that became popular during 20th century. Traditional Chinese painting uses a brush and black or colored ink; oils are not used.Heart Print (心画) – Popularized by the literati painters at the beginning of the Yuan Dynasty. A critical aspect of their introspective “landscapes of the mind,” the ‘heart print’ is a visual mani-festation of the artist’s emotional state. Literati Painters (文人画家) – Confucian scholar-painters. Emerging in the Song dynasty, these artists valued gestural spontaneity, worked largely in monochrome, and often incorporated po-etry into their paintings. Their works value not the physical subject depicted, but the expression of the artist’s inner state. Meigu (没骨) – Meaning “boneless” painting, this style is devoid of line. Instead, Meigu focuses on the careful use of washes and tonal gradation to delineate form. Shan Shui (山水) -Translating to “mountain” (shan) and “water” (shui), shan shui are landscape paintings. Historically, they have been considered the highest form of painting in China. The Five Dynasties period to the Northern Song period (907–1127) is known as the golden age for shan shui.Shui Mo (水墨) - Water-ink painting or Chinese ink painting. Spirit Resonance (气韵) - As defined by Xie He in his Six Points to Consider When Judging a Painting, spirit resonance conveys an understanding that something ineffable is transmitted from artist to artwork in the act of creation and that the use of brush, ink, and paper is best suited for this spiritual and expressive act. Xie Sheng (写生) - “Sketch life,” a naturalistic style used by court painters in Bird-and-Flower painting.Xie Yi (写意) - “Sketching ideas,” a freehand style of Bird-and-Flower painting.Xuan Paper (宣纸) - The preeminent medium for the Chinese painter since the 14th century. Resulting from a mixture of wood fibers, rice, and other organic matter, its unusually long fibers make this paper strong and absorbent.

Glossary


475 - 221 BCE

206 BCE - 220 AD

618 - 907

960 - 1279

1206 - 1368

1368 -1644

1644 - 1911

c. 1770s - 1830s

c. 1850s - 1950’s

1912 - 1949

1949 - 1976

1956 - 1957

Since 1978

Timeline of Chinese Ink Painting

Warring States Period (战国时期)-Artists and calligraphers begin using animal hair brushes to paint on silkHan Dynasty (汉朝)-Excavated burial shrouds from this period present creation myths and worldly values-Ink painting becoming more narrative and complex-6th century, Xie He writes treatise, The Six Points to Consider when Judging a Painting, painting becomes a subject of philosophical dis-courseTang Dynasty (唐朝)-Shui mo first becomes prominent in China, largely used to portray aristocratic life -Shan shui (landscape painting) developsSong Dynasty (宋朝)-Political stability restored, monumental landscape painting is born-Emergence of literati paintersYuan Dynasty (元朝)-Mongol rule stirs feelings of subjugation amongst Confucian scholars-Literati popularize “landscapes of the mind” and the “heart print”Ming Dynasty (明朝)-Simple subjects – a few flowers, or one horse - become possible-Narrative painting becomes immensely popular-Wider color range and much busier composition than Song paintingsQing Dynasty (清朝) -Painters known as individualists rebel against many of the traditional rules of painting, turn to more free flowing brushwork -Three loosely defined categories of Chinese Painting emerge: tradition-alists, individualists, and professional court painters-Commercial cities such as Shanghai become art centers -Wealthy merchant-patrons encourage artistic production-Increasing exposure to Western art, some artists who study in Europe reject Chinese painting; others try to combine the best of both traditionsRepublic of China Period (中华名国)-Fall of the Imperial lineage in 1911-Radical factions partner with artists, creating revolutionary artMao Era/ Cultural Revolution (毛泽东时期)- Art reserved for communist cause only- Most artistic production under the regime accepted style of social real-ism (Soviet influence)Early years of the People’s Republic of China (中华人民共和国早期)- Painters assigned subjects and expected to mass-produce paintings- Art schools close, publication of art journals and major art exhibitions ceaseReform Era (改革开放时期)- Art schools and professional organizations reinstated- Creative exchanges organized with groups of foreign artists- Artists begin to experiment new subjects, techniques, and materials


Fang, Ye, Julia Chu, and Yingde Chen. The Romance of Gardens: Modern Chinese Painting by Yeh Fang. Taipei: Julia Gallery, 2001. Print.

Fong, Wen, and Marilyn Fu. Sung and Yuan Paintings. New York: distributed by New York Graphic Society, 1973. Print.

King, Samuel, comp. Ye Yuan - Nature Rarified: Garden Design by Ye Fang. Trans. Philip Bloom and Miranda Chen. Shanghai: Shanghai Museum of Contemporary Art, 2010. Print.

Leng, Cindy Ng Sio. Portfolio of Cindy Ng Sio Leng. Macau: Fundacao Macau, 2014. Print.

Leng, Cindy Ng Sio. www.cindyink.net (official website).

Tiancheng International, Modern and Contemporary Art: Contemporary Literati, auction catalogue, 6 October, 2012. Hong Kong: Tiancheng International. Print.

Weimin, Miu, ed. Portfolio of Xu Ming’s Shan Shui. Suzhou: Guwuxuan Publishing House, 2008. Print.

Yuan, Guo, and Shu Jinjia, eds. Portfolio of Yeh Lan’s Flowers and Birds. Nanjing, Jiangsu: Jiangsu Fine Art House, 2013. Print.

Zhenhu, Liu, ed. Top 30 Contemporary Artists Who Have the Most Academic and Market Value - Yeh Lan. Jilin: Jilin University Publishing House, 2013. Print.

Zikang, Zhang, and Kang Li, eds. New Era of Contemporary Shan Shui - Yeh Fang. Heibei: Heibei Education Publishing House, 2002. Print.

Zuoren, Wu, and Zhang Anzhi. Contemporary Chinese Painting. Ed. Hua Junwu. Beijing: New World Press, 1983. Print.

Bibliography

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Chairman: Herbert LibertsonPresident: David LibertsonExecutive Director: Roni NeuerDirector: Tomomi SekiGallery Associate: Travis SuzakaGallery Assistant for Chinese Art: Runting SongGallery Assistant for Editorial Research: Madison FolksGallery Assistant: Akane Yanagisawa

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spirit resonance: a new world of chinese ink painting

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