Objects of the Mind: Chinese Brush and Ink Paintings by Dianyu Zhao
September 15 – November 11, 2018
GEBIS and Confederation Centre Art Gallery are proud to invite world-renowned artist Dianyu Zhao to share his mastery of the thousand-year-old Asian arts of poetry, calligraphy, painting, and seal engraving to create these classic Chinese ink wash paintings.
Zhao, born in December 1943, is an acclaimed Chinese ink-wash painter with many notable works in “bird-and-flower painting”, a significant motif originating from the 10th century. Accredited as a first-rate artist in China, he first received training in Western painting, then in Chinese painting, before studying with the talented Liangchi Qi, son of legendary painter Baishi Qi. Zhao became Qi’s top student, equipped with a strong foundation in various disciplines of painting. Following that, Zhao also devoted some time for research at China’s National Palace Museum. His works for Chinese New Year were noted as one of the most reprinted works of art to date.
As seen from Zhao’s work, his brushstrokes are expressive, confident, and unrestrained. He implements vigorous strokes with bright colours and strong contrasts. His paintings express a deep love for humanity, capturing sentiments of daily life. The distinct and unique artistic style give viewers a glimpse into the inner world of a Chinese scholar.
This exhibit showcases Zhao’s more recent works. The paintings are displayed using an ancient Chinese tradition of hanging scrolls. The expressive brush paintings of flowers and birds is a prominent feature of Chinese art. This collection of work reflects the rich symbolism within Chinese culture. Consistent with the values of traditional Chinese artists, Zhao explores the subject beyond its form by imbuing the illustrations with his emotions and ideals.
For example, the plum blossom, which blooms in winter, represents strength. The orchid gives off its sweet fragrance despite being unseen by others, and is a symbol of integrity. The bamboo is hollow within and stands upright, representing humility. The chrysanthemum does not fight with other flowers for attention as it blooms when others wilt, making it an emblem of simplicity. The evergreen fir tree marks endurance and strong resolve; the pristine lotus that grows from mud personifies purity and nobility; etc. For generations, these subjects have been adopted by Chinese artists as a means to express their feelings.
Within Chinese art, capturing the essence of the subject is the highest form of aesthetic expression. The paintings in this collection portray the characteristic of each subject rather than the details in its appearance, thereby revealing the personal thoughts of the artist. The certitude and precision behind each brushstroke exhibits the artist’s mastery of this artform.
這次GEBIS邀請趙殿玉教授遠道而來， 分享傳承千年的獨特東方藝術──由詩(歌)、書 (法)、畫、印(章)構成的中國寫意水墨畫。
趙殿玉教授是著名的中國大寫意花鳥畫畫家， 生於 1943年 12 月，是中國國家一級美術 師。曾先修西畫， 後專國畫，並受業於中國現代藝術史上的大師齊白石老人的四子齊良 遲先生，為白石老人再傳弟子，繪畫功底深厚。曾於中國故宮博物院創下年畫印刷發行量 之最， 享譽畫壇。
其作品筆墨洗煉酣暢，雄奇奔放，大氣磅礡，渾厚質朴，色彩鮮明強烈，極具個性。他的 畫具有深切的人文精神，濃郁的生活氣息，用赤子般的情懷描繪其對生活的無限熱愛，同 時展現了中國文人的精神世界和風骨，具有鮮明的個人藝術風格。
本次展出的作品， 是趙殿玉近年的精心之作，用中國古老的卷軸裝裱方式展示。花鳥寫 意畫是中國畫畫家很重要的一種繪畫形式，寓情於物，追求理想，寄托情懷，表達人格，這批作品都帶有中國傳統的美好寓意，比如梅花凌寒而開，代表堅強。蘭花空谷幽芳，象 征清雅。竹子虛心有節，表示謙遜。菊花田園歸隱，喻意淡泊。松樹挺拔常綠，表示堅韌 頑強，荷花出污泥而不染，是清雅高潔吉祥的象征等等。它們都成為畫家借物抒情寫心表 意的畫題和“情感的符號”。心靈之境，是中國繪畫藝術的最高境界. 這些作品不摹形似而 求神韻，直抒心胸，一揮而就，展現了畫家高超的技巧。
How to Understand Chinese Ink Wash Paintings
Kith (Tak-Ping) Tsang
Co-founder of the Para Site Art Space
HKICC Lee Shau Kee School of Creativity
Former Visual Communications Design Professor at Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Ink wash painting is a unique type of Chinese brush-painting, inspired by the traditional Chinese “naturalistic view”. The painter pursues an intrinsic state, capturing the spirit of the object, free from the bounds of simply reproducing a concrete image; this concept is very different than the usual artistic approach of Western monotheistic cultures. In the Chinese “naturalistic view”, one explores the role of humans within the scope of nature. It is believed that the deeper one can reflect and practice this philosophy, the greater one can reach one’s fullest potentials.
The form and technique of Chinese ink painting is based on the artistic usage of water, ink and space. The “Six Principles of Chinese Painting” by the renowned Chinese art historian Xie He (479-502), is regarded as the standard for appreciating and evaluating Chinese paintings. The six principles highlight each work of art’s overall essence and touches on both material and technical aspects of ink painting. Each painting is critiqued according to the painter’s skill in conveying the overall essence of a piece of art, the way the brush is used, the depiction of form, the application of colour, the arrangement of space and depth, and one’s ability to capture the spirit of the model.
如何欣賞中國水墨
藝術空間 共同創辦人
香港兆基創意書院
前香港理工大學設計學院副教授
曾德平
在理念上而言，中國水墨畫家以一種中國人特有的「自然觀」在感觸上追尋超然物外 的、人文文化最大的內在自由的自然生活。這種「自然觀」有別於西方的神話文明和 一神論宗教文明對自然的想像和理解。中國人的「自然觀」旨在探討人立於天和地之 間，如何活出人作為自然的一份子，同時也是自然的全部的生命模式。這樣的思考和 實踐愈深，人體會到的內在生命力愈大。
中國水墨畫的形式和技巧是基於上述理念開展出來的實驗，其核心在於水、墨和空間 的運用。南齊謝赫的「六法」被視為欣賞和品評中國畫的標準法則：氣韻生動，骨法 用筆，應物象形，隨類賦彩，經營位置與及傳移模寫。這套法則包括了繪畫的精神 性、物質性.、技術性和可學習性的面向。