Mending fences through art: Ink paintings from China at the Met

Budding flowers in springtime giving hope to a fresh, beautiful start. Bamboo stalks swaying in the breeze, sending nostalgia of the calm, carefree life in the countryside. Water raging from the top of the mountains like the surge of emotions of a passionate lover, mountains and cliffs covered with trees and moss evoking the mysteries of nature – these are just some of the themes of the ink paintings of esteemed Chinese artists Chen Lyusheng and Sun Jiangtao.

 

“Chinese ink painting focuses on the concept, the feeling. So, it’s not just like you draw something and make it similar to the real object. It focuses on the people’s feelings, it’s what you can see, what you can get, after seeing these pictures,” Lyusheng, through an interpreter, told GMA News Online.

 

And capturing the feelings through painting is one of the things that Filipino and Chinese artists have in common, said National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) chairman Felipe De Leon Jr. during the opening of the exhibit titled “Ink Paintings from China: Chen Lyusheng and Sun Jiangtao” at the Metropolitan Museum on June 19.

 

“I’m very happy that Chinese art has very close realities to Philippine art. Both conditions do not simply copy what is seen by the eyes, because the Chinese and Filipino artists capture what we know rather than what we see,” De Leon said in a speech.

 

“Chinese artists capture the essence of things. They capture the soul of the mountains, of a tree, a river. This is also true for Filipino paintings,” he added.

 

Old Chinese tradition

 

A form of art that dates back to more than five thousand years starting from the Song and Yuan Dynasties (960 – 1968 AD), ink painting is considered as one of the oldest Chinese traditions and regarded as the representative of what Chinese painting is.

 

This form of painting, which originated in the southern part of China,  was practiced by scholars inspired by various forms of arts such as poetry, calligraphy, fine crafts and photography. Ink painting is thus also referred as the “literati style” painting.

 

Often characterized with the theme of nature such as mountains, rivers, trees and flowers, ink paintings also incorporate poetry and calligraphy.

 

“The ink painting created by long pair of brushes, ink, watercolors and paper has greatly influenced Chinese culture and arts. The ink painting combining Chinese poetry, calligraphy and painting truly displays the artistic character and relevance of the painter,” said Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Zhao Jianhua during the exhibit launch.

 

Sharing the same academic background from Nanjing University of the Arts in Jiangsu province, Lyusheng and Jiangtao both adhere to the literati style of painting, incorporating calligraphy and poetry in their work. But the two artists differ vastly when it comes to the themes and style of their paintings.

 

'Simple and abstract'

 

“I like to describe my works as simple and abstract, and also make people quiet and peaceful,” said Lyusheng, who is the deputy director of the National Museum of China and the vice director of Beijing Artists Association.

 

Born in a small in island in Yangzhou, Jiangsu province, Lyusheng's works commonly reflects the bliss and serenity of rural life, especially as he grew up in a place surrounded by the Yangtze River.

 

“I usually focus on the traditional Chinese themes like the plum flower, the bamboo, and also the 'new way' or the spring,” Lyusheng said.

 

But though conventional when it comes to the themes, Lyusheng gives contemporary touch to his works with the use of vibrant hues of watercolor and abstract inscriptions written in calligraphy.

 

Vastness of nature

 

Masculine and bold, meanwhile, characterizes the work of Jiangtao.

 

Also born in Jiangsu Province, Jiangtao is now based in the urban city of Macau, yet still finds time to regularly commune with nature.

 

“I love to explore the vastness of nature. I usually go mountain hiking, swimming, this is where I get inspirations for my works,” Jiangtao, through his interpreter told GMA News Online.

 

No wonder most of his work are landscapes such as woods, cliffs, rivers, mountain peaks and waterfalls. He said waterfalls crashing from the top of the mountain is his favorite theme.

 

“It's awe-inspiring to watch the water crashing down from the peak of the mountain, flowing to the woods, giving life. It is a humbling experience, reminding you of the nature's might and mysteries,” said Jiangtao who is also the dean of the Painting and Calligraphy Institute of Macau and the president of Macau Publishing House.

 

Better relations for Philippines, China

 

A day after the exhibit launching, Lyusheng and Jiangtao also gave a live demonstration of ink-wash painting and free calligraphy workshop to promote the age-old tradition to young Filipino audiences.

 

“Their whims transcend national boundaries and help bridge differences. There is no doubt that this exhibition would further connote greater understanding between our two peoples,”said Ambassador Jianhua.

 

He said that despite the territorial conflicts between China and the Philippines, events such as these can help mend fences and “create a better relations in the future.”

 

“This exhibition is telling us that with all the efforts, nothing can stop the profound friendship between our two countries,” Jianhua said. - JST/BM, GMA News

 

“Ink Paintings from China: Chen Lyusheng and Sun Jiangtao” exhibit is on view at the TALL Galleries of Metropolitan Museum until August 23, 2014. Metropolitan Museum, located at the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Complex, Roxas Boulevard, Manila is open from Mondays to Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. For more details, call (02) 708-78-28 or email info@metmuseum.ph or visit their website, www.facebook.com/metmanila.