A Grand Tour of Chinese-Style Landscape Art, Embarking on a Journey of Chinese Aesthetics

The 'Chinese-Style Landscape' exhibition at the China Art Palace explores the artistic paths of Lin Fengmian and Wu Guanzhong through horizontal comparisons between Chinese and Western cultures, vertical tug-of-wars between ancient and modern ink paintings, and the relationship between the external form and internal essence of art. From the perspectives of nationality, era, and individuality, the exhibition delves into the ontology of art from the outside in. The artists, with their highly personalized explorations, define and expand the essence and connotations of art, thereby realizing the social value of art for people. Both artists, with their integrated knowledge of Chinese and Western cultures, have shaped a new visage for ink painting, infusing the literati-led creation of traditional Chinese painting with the lively blood of folk art and elements of the times, pioneering a new course for the development of Chinese painting. This has enabled the diverse modern development of ink art, including abstract ink, new ink, and experimental ink. To appreciate their depictions of Chinese-style landscapes is also to experience the landscapes of the era and the personal inner landscapes of the artists. Lin Fengmian extensively studied various types of folk art and, through Chinese opera, shadow play, and paper cutting, reinterpreted Cubism's free handling of space and time, pioneering 'color ink painting'. 'I am Chinese, with Chinese roots and lineage, and naturally like to express my own things.' This has always been the underlying tone in Lin Fengmian's works.