On August 6, 2016, the exhibition “Ink Language” opened at Triumph Art Space in 798 Art District, the exhibition collectively presents the latest artistic creations by the 7 ink painting artists including Liang Ying, Zeng Jianyong, Zhang Tianmu, Li Jun, Zhu Zhengming, Li Guanguan, Wang Mengsha, to render the new state of traditional ink art in a new cultural context. Director of Triumph Art Space Li Yanling and the participating artists were present at the opening ceremony.

Ink painting is a traditional Chinese painting form with an historical context of a thousand years and it is not only a simple artistic language, but also closely linked with the cultural thinking and lifestyle of the Chinese literati, it is a carrier for the philosophy of the unique characteristics of the oriental culture. Along with modern multi-cultural integration, the change of modern lives and the aesthetics, ink art has also undergone new changes in contemporary society, perhaps inheriting classical aesthetics, while being in pursuit of an elegant and quiet style, perhaps free-spirited and romantic, this ink painting is of a strong personal style and a new painting language is called “New Ink” by the art circles, becoming a contemporary hot art topic. The 7 artists participating in the exhibition are outstanding representatives of the current new ink painting circle.

Liang Ying boldly and unrestrainedly applies brushstrokes, the use of brush and ink directly expressing her mental state, her exhibited works include “Seven Sages”, “Two Young Eagles”, “Brilliant Wings of a Cock”, “A Fish Turns to A Dragon in the Ink Pool”, “A King and an Old Bull”. Zeng Jianyong and Zhang Tianmu is a couple of artists. Zeng is good at the painting of figures and landscape, the exhibited works “The Farming-Reading Man” and “The Hunter” have successfully created the real specimen for the adults with symbolic “oriental faces” of the times. Zhang’s latest work is the continuation of the previous surrealist style and the skill of tempera on paper. However, the dramatic sense of painting becomes more imaginative.

Li Jun, Zhu Zhengming and Li Guanguan graduated from CAFA. Li Jun was known for his vivid ink painting series “Dog-Topia” when he was a student, in his view, dogs are more than animals, they have their own feelings and destiny, have their own families, descendants, births, gender appearances, names and lives,as well as their own emotions. Zhu Zhengming is good at meticulous half-length portraits in ink and color, and the characters under her brush are of both a classical style like the Buddha’s statue and “Gothic” religious spiritual construction, it is not only the individual spiritual demand which is strengthened by Zhu Zhengming but also her reflection “concentration on the character of the painting, and the spiritual inter quality.” Li Guanguan’s unique shape of “Ma’s Corner” is widely recognized and loved by the industry.

The picture scene created by Wang Mengsha is dense and vigorous, fine and warm, peaceful and brilliant, which is like the wonderland in the mind and dreams of a modern female in contemporary life.

The new ink art is a developing issue, how are traditional materials, rules and aesthetics associated with the modern aesthetic consciousness, how to express contemporary life, how does traditional language produce and derive a new feature in a multicultural context? All of this are the hot discussion topics of “new ink”. New ink is the contemporary extension of traditional culture and aesthetic thinking, through the exhibition people also see infinity and surprises. The exhibition continues to September 16.

Photo and text by Zhang Wenzhi/CAFA ART INFO

Translated by Chen Peihua and edited by Sue/CAFA ART INFO?