Between May 9th and June 14th, Soka Art will play host to, “Bifurcation” a contemporary art exhibition with participating artists from both China and Taiwan. The exhibition includes 17 pieces from six young artists: Lin Bao Ling, Zhang Tian Mu, C. C. Chang, Wang Meng Sha, Peng Hui Ting, and Yang Hong. The media they use ranges from black ink, to color ink, to acrylics, which is a highly uncommon modern use of medium in traditional Chinese ink art. Meanwhile, their styles incorporate landscapes, memorandum, portraits and imitation; truly displaying the freedom of contemporary Chinese ink art. Paired up as a dialogue between two people, the six artists present their works through three subtopics: “Landscapes and Sceneries”, “Borrowed Qi and Earned Authority” and “Trance and Serenity.”

Landscapes and Sceneries

Depictions of scenery in traditional Chinese ink art are always detailed and refined, with most classified as representations of either landscapes or people. Representing this subtopic are the works of Peng Hui Ting and Wang Meng Sha. Peng fully understands that in Chinese ink art, the application of Cun Fa technique must be subtle, eliminating any harsh or apparent strokes. Her misty and ever-changing fog scenes are created with thinned ink, which she gently applies using the Xuan Ran technique. Such subtlety conveys the exquisiteness and abundance with which life moves so indescribably. Wang Meng Sha was born in the patchwork of waterways south of the Yangtze River. Every brushstroke elucidates the mistiness of water towns, like the tearful eyes of a young maiden. The ink on her canvases play unique tricks, with the characters she creates capturing the scent of a woman with none of her melancholy. Wang’s drawings are a reflection of our modern society; a flat face in a world of razzle dazzle.

Borrowing Qi and Earned Authority

Traditional Chinese ink art has always been a pursuit of the value of “qi” (air). Forms of qi include, “qi shi” (strong aura), “qi yun” (spirit of a person/object), “qi chang” (smooth qi), “sheng qi” (livelihood), and “guan qi” (continuous qi). From a modern perspective, it is to use personal experience and knowledge as one’s cultural substance. This subtopic is represented by the works of C. C. Chang and Yang Hong. Chang has always used fountain pens for his pieces. The dispirited lines form scenes of desolation, yet the fine outlines that remain form a microscopic universe. With a level of professionality, the artist records the contemporary “Ode to Walks of Life,” using traditional methods to satirize the present day. In this way, he seems to be tirelessly searching for a common language that can explain the universe. Yang Hong’s drawings are in the style of the Sichuan Fine Art Institute. He presents the conversation and conflicting relationship between the three forms of life (of nature, of human beings, and of technology). The drawings tell of the loneliness and desolation of lives in nature and modern civilization. In “Civilization” and “Ways of Conversing,” one can see an example of the North Sung Dynasty style of grand landscapes, combining spaciousness and fine penmanship. The classical composition of luscious green landscape shows a wonderland as mystical as Oz.  

Trance and Serenity

Integrating contemporary art concepts into Chinese ink art presents a challenging dialogue between the East and the West. Chinese ink art stems from the awakening of the self from within, finding one’s way back to the normal daily life and the way things should naturally be. This subtopic is represented by Zhang Tian Mu and Lin Bao Ling’s works. Zhang’s creation came from the manipulation of a recurring dream. It does not focus on what one wants, but rather the process of how one’s heart and soul reach heterotopia. She uses egg tempera to create layers of femininity and sweetness, transforming the feel of traditional Chinese ink art into the lighting of Western oil paintings. Thus, “bifurcation” is subtly echoed in a discrete space. Lin has always focused his work on light and shadow, playing with the possibilities of different forms. By imitating ever-changing lights, he opens up a blurred space in which ”serenity” is created through various imaginations. The artist has developed a new possibility for contemporary Chinese ink art, that is, combining the subtle depths of Eastern arts with the lighting techniques of the West.