Spirit Resonance: A New World of Chinese Ink Painting

Spirit Resonance A New World of Chinese Ink Painting

RONINGALLERY

Spirit Resonance A New World of Chinese Ink Painting

RONIN GALLERY 425 Madison Ave. New York, NY 10017 The Largest Collection of Japanese Prints in the U.S. Contemporary Asian Art January 2015 Š 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

Spirit Resonance A New World of Chinese Ink Painting

S

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 freedom 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 Judging a Painting remains essential to contemporary 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 creation 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 intimate relationship with contemporary artistic forms and techniques. While the tradition of Western art is brimming with paintings on canvas, the tradition of Chinese painting has always relied on paper as the foundation of expression. Eastern paper differs from that of the West: rather 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 expressive and nuanced stroke of a brush.

Imbued with classical concepts and turning to traditional materials, contemporary 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 eloquence of traditional materials.

As works on paper command the most coherent center of the contemporary 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.

History of Ink Painting in China

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ouching animal-hair brushes to cloth, the artists and calligraphers of the Warring States Period began a long history 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 merely 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 philosophical 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 ushered 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

the literati painters, valued a gestural spontaneity similar to calligraphy. Literati ink paintings were most often monochrome and incorporated poetry and image together in a highly sophisticated, atmospheric way. Ultimately, these works focused not only on the expression 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 subjugation among the existing intellectual class.

An increasing sense of alienation and separation from both state and culture pushed many of the Yuan Dynasty literati 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 persisted, 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 century put a great deal of constraint on the development and success of its artists.

The fall of the Imperial lineage system in

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

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1911 ushered in an era of Chinese radicalism 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 accepted mode of social realism painting.

By the 1960s and 1970s, the Cultural Revolution stifled the presence of artistic 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

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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 “landscapes 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 tradition 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 abstraction, 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 increasing 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 manifestation 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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吴 少 英

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 became 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.

Select Exhibitions/ Awards/ Publications

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2011

“Tao of Nature,” Group Exhibition, Museum of Contemporary Art, Shanghai, China

2010

“Time Unfrozen,” Group Exhibition, Taipei Fine Art Museum, Taiwan

2009

“Mirrored Exhibition,” Group Exhibition, The True Color Museum, Suzhou, China

2007

“Ink in Motion,” Solo Exhibition, Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, USA

2007

“Ink Shadow,” Solo Exhibition, Today Art Museum, Beijing, China

2007

“The 3rd Chengdu Biennial,” Group Exhibition, Chengdu, China

2005

“Macao Image,” Group Exhibition, Daejeon Fast, Daejeon Museum of Art, Korea

2005

“Peace,” Solo Exhibition, Ju Ming Museum, Taiwan

2005

“Unseen History,” Group Exhibition Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts, Taiwan

2004

“Sounds of Silence,” Solo Exhibition, The Taipa Houses Museum, Macao

1996

“Traveling,” Solo Exhibition, Taipei Fine Arts Museum, Taiwan

Ink 6 Cindy Ng Sio Leng Date: 2013-2014 Size: 31” x 29.25” ref. #: CHR062

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Ink 8 Cindy Ng Sio Leng Date: 2013-2014 Size: 43.25” x 13.25” ref. #: CHR069

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Ink 4 Cindy Ng Sio Leng Date: 2013-2014 Size: 43.25” x 13.25” ref. #: CHR065

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Ink 5 Cindy Ng Sio Leng Date: 2013-2014 Size: 21.5” x 10.5” ref. #: CHR064

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Ink 3 Cindy Ng Sio Leng Date: 2013-2014 Size: 21.5” x 10.5” ref. #: CHR063

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Yeh Lan (b. 1955)

叶 烂

Born in Guanyun, Jiangsu, Yeh Lan attended Nanjing Art School where he studied early Chinese 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 presents a fresh interpretation of the Bird and Flower 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 throughout 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 Station. 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.

Select Exhibitions/ Awards/ Publications 2012, “30 artists with the most market potential and academic value”

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2008

Contemporary Bird and Flower,” China Yi Bao International Media Corporation

and Heibei Art Institution

2005

Published Collection of Ye Lan Works and Techniques of Contemporary Masters

2005

“Spring Night,” Awarded at the first China Xieyi Exhibition

2004

“Lotus Pond Under the Moon,” 10th National Art Exhibition

2003

“Lotus Pond in Early Summer” and “Golden Pond,” Complete Collection of

Contemporary Birds and Flower Paintings Exhibition

2000

“Lotus Pond in Early Summer,” 6th China Art Festival - Chinese Painting Exhibition

1999

“The Golden Pond,” received the Award of Excellence, 9th National Art Exhibition

1998

“The Golden Pond,” Third Place, 1998 Jincai Award for Peony Cup

New artists Award, China Federation of Literary and Art Circles

and China Artists’ Association

1994

“Sunset onto the Autumn Pond,” 8th National Art Exhibition

1988

First prize at Hawaii AMFAC Art Competition

Lotus in Summer Yeh Lan Date: 2013 - 2014 Size: 33” x 22” ref. #: CHR053

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Poetic Scenery Yeh Lan Date: 2013 - 2014 Size: 33” x 22” ref. #: CHR054

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White Lotus and Red Lotus Yeh Lan Date: 2013 - 2014 Size: 31.25” x 30.25” ref. #: CHR048

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Enjoy Life Among the Lotus Flower Yeh Lan Date: 2013 - 2014 Size: 18.25” x 17.5” ref. #: CHR042

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Lost in the Lotus Flower Yeh Lan Date: 2013 - 2014 Size: 18” x 17.5” ref. #: CHR045

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Yeh Fang (b. 1962)

葉 放

Yeh Fang graduated from Suzhou College of Arts in 1983. A prominent artist in the Chinese contemporary 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, classical 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 destroyed during the Cultural Revolution, he seeks to express the “blossom realm in his heart” in a contemporary 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.

Select Exhibitions/ Awards/ Publications

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2009

The 53rd Biennale of Venice, Venice, Italy

2009

Chinese Gardens For Living, Brussels, Belgium

2008

Farewell to Post-Colonialism - The Third Guangzhou Triennial,

Guangdong Museum of Art, Guangzhou, China

2007

Artist of the year: Literary Gamers, Art Strategies, Taipei, Taiwan

2006

Busan Biennale, Busan, Korea

2006

Envisage, Museum of Contemporary Art, Shanghai, China

2004

Art on the Beach: Sculptures, St. Tropez, France

2004

Construction of Nanshipiji: Yellow Box, Taipei Fine Arts Museum, Taipei, Taiwan

2004

Openasia: International Exhibition of Sculptures and Installations, Venice, Italy

2004

Taipei Chinese Character Festival, Museum of History, Taipei, Taiwan

2001

Romance of Gardens: Modern Ink Painting, Taipei, Taiwan

1998

“Everything as You Wish,” selected for The 1998 Nominee Exhibition

of Masterpieces of Modern Chinese Painting, Malaysia

1996

“Dream of Memory,” Silver Medal, The 1996 Exhibition of Works by

Jiansu Young Artists, Nanjing, China

Artist’s preferred installation Works available for individual sale

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Abstract #1 Yeh Fang Memories of a Garden Date: 2010 - 2014 Size: 11.75” x 11.75” ref. #: CHR022

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Abstract #2 Yeh Fang Memories of a Garden Date: 2010 - 2014 Size: 11.75” x 11.75” ref. #: CHR020

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Abstract #3 Yeh Fang Memories of a Garden Date: 2010 - 2014 Size: 11.75” x 11.75” ref. #: CHR021

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Abstract #4 Yeh Fang Memories of a Garden Date: 2010 - 2014 Size: 11.75” x 11.75” ref. #: CHR024

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Xu Ming (b. 1965)

徐 明

Born in Suzhou, Xu Ming received formal training from the Suzhou Art and Design Institute 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 Publishing 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 Artists’ Association.

Select Exhibitions/ Publications

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2008

Xu Ming’s Works of Shan Shui, published by Gu Wu Xuan

2001

Featured artist, International Ink Wash Painting Exhibition, Japan

Chinese New Year Xu Ming Date: 1990 - 2000 Size: 31.75” x 27” ref. #: CH010

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Spring Rain Xu Ming Date: 2014 Size: 17.5” x 13.5” ref. #: CHR033

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Village by the Stream Xu Ming Date: 2014 Size: 17.5” x 13.5” ref. #: CHR040

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Mountain View Xu Ming Date: 2014 Size: 17.5” x 13.5” ref. #: CHR037

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Mountain #2 Xu Ming Date: 2014 Size: 17.5” x 13.5” ref. #: CHR034

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王 骞

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. Boasting elegant color and emphasizing line quality, this style tends to be more descriptive than interpretive. 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.

Select Exhibitions/ Awards/ Publications

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2009

“Autumn Sun,” The First National Chinese Painting Lined Art Exhibition

2008

“Warm Springs,” National Small Gongbi Painting Exhibition

2007

“Clear Fragrance,” first place, Shandong Province Laiwu City Municipal Party Committee

2006

“Reed Warbler and the First Snow on a Sunny Day,” Zhejiang Birds and Flowers

Award of Excellence

Butterflies Flying to Peonies in Qingming Festival Wang Qian Date: 2014 Size: 55� x 29� ref. #: CHR056

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Summer Wang Qian Date: 2014 Size: 19.25” x 14.5” ref. #: CHR060

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Sorrow of Separation Wang Qian Date: 2014 Size: 13.75” x 18” ref. #: CHR059

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Butterfly and Peonies Wang Qian Date: 2014 Size: 19.75” x 37.25” ref. #: CHR057

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王 玮 琦

Wang Weiqi (b. 1988)

Wang evokes the charm of traditional ink painting through tender portraits of dogs and cats. Forsaking 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 contemporary 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 paintings have won multiple awards and have been featured in the Second Suzhou Art Exhibition.

Select Exhibitions/ Awards/ Publications

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2013

New Wu Style and June Breeze – The Second Suzhou Art Works Exhibition

2013

New Wu Style, Traveling Exhibition at various colleges and universities

Wrinkles Wang Weiqi Date: 2014 Size: 26” x 26” ref. #: JP6024

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I’m Sorry Wang Weiqi Date: 2014 Size: 17.75” x 10.5” ref. #: JP6026

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Be My Friend Wang Weiqi Date: 2014 Size: 25.5” x 25.5” ref. #: JP6040

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So Tired Wang Weiqi Date: 2014 Size: 13” x 12.5” ref. #: JP6032

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Cat and Butterfly Wang Weiqi Date: 2014 Size: 26” x 26” ref. #: JP5943

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Zhang Yuanfeng (b. 1984)

张 原 凤

Zhang Yuanfeng is a rising ink artist in China’s prospering 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 tradition of Chinese ink painting into the contemporary realm. Zhang Yuanfeng is particularly known for her humorous and abstract depictions of fragile, yet inexhaustible 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.

Select Exhibitions/ Awards/ Publications

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2014

Paris Art Fair, Paris, France

2013

Art13 London Art Fair, London, UK

2013

“The Future Masters of China,” Wenxuan Art Gallery, Chengdu, China

2012

“The Carousel: New Shuimo,” Shouying Art Space, 798, Beijing, China

2012

“Shen You Ji,” Liang Art Center, Beijing, China

2011

“Test Site: Contemporary Shuimo,” Red Star Gallery, 798, Beijing, China

2010

“The Expressions of Drawing: Japan, China, Korea, Germany Joint Exhibitions,”

Seoul, Korea and Tokyo, Japan

2008

“Pendant Hang Floating Mix,” Third Place, Central Academy of Fine Arts

Outstanding Works exhibition

2005

“Central Academy of Fine Arts Outstanding Works exhibition,” Second Place

Standing in Line Zhang Yuanfeng Date: 2014 Size: 18.5” x 18.25” ref. #: CHR002

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Drifting North (to Beijing) Zhang Yuanfeng Date: 2014 Size: 18.75” x 18.75” ref. #: CHR001

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Love and Pain Zhang Yuanfeng Date: 2014 Size: 18.5” x 17.5” ref. #: CHR006

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State of Affairs Zhang Yuanfeng Date: 2014 Size: 17.75” x 16.5” ref. #: CHR009

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

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The End of Loneliness Zhang Yuanfeng Date: 2014 Size: 18.5” x 18.5” ref. #: CHR005

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Glossary 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 divided 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 opposition 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 manifestation 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 poetry 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.

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Timeline of Chinese Ink Painting 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

Warring States Period (战国时期) -Artists and calligraphers begin using animal hair brushes to paint on silk Han 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 discourse Tang Dynasty (唐朝) -Shui mo first becomes prominent in China, largely used to portray aristocratic life -Shan shui (landscape painting) develops Song Dynasty (宋朝) -Political stability restored, monumental landscape painting is born -Emergence of literati painters Yuan 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 paintings Qing 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: traditionalists, 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 traditions Republic of China Period (中华名国) -Fall of the Imperial lineage in 1911 -Radical factions partner with artists, creating revolutionary art Mao Era/ Cultural Revolution (毛泽东时期) - Art reserved for communist cause only - Most artistic production under the regime accepted style of social realism (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 cease Reform 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

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Bibliography 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.

RONIN GALLERY 425 Madison Ave New York, NY 10017 212.688.0188 www.roningallery.com ronin@roningallery.com Chairman: Herbert Libertson President: David Libertson Executive Director: Roni Neuer Director: Tomomi Seki Gallery Associate: Travis Suzaka Gallery Assistant for Chinese Art: Runting Song Gallery Assistant for Editorial Research: Madison Folks Gallery Assistant: Akane Yanagisawa

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