2024 China-Europe International Art Exchange Exhibition of Famous Calligraphers and Painters - He Xiaohu
He Xiaohu, born in 1970 in Zigong City, Sichuan Province, studied painting since childhood, was admitted to the Central Academy of Arts and Crafts (now Tsinghua University Academy of Fine Arts) in 1989, under the tutelage of famous artists, during the school, many works were collected by the college, graduated in 1993 with a bachelor's degree, and in 1997 obtained a graduate degree in mural painting. He is currently a doctoral supervisor of the Graduate School of the Chinese Academy of Arts, a contracted painter of The ART door Foundation in the United States, a member of the China Artists Association, the executive vice president of the Chinese Academy of Painting and Calligraphy, a distinguished painter of the Sichuan Provincial Museum, a director of the China International Culture and Art Exchange Association, and an executive director of the Hong Kong International Academy of Painting. Visiting Professor, First-class Artist, Director of the Landscape Branch of the World Chinese Artists Association, Director of the Chinese Poetry Association, Director of the Chinese Sinology Research Association, Ambassador of Chinese Sinology Culture and Art, Visiting Professor of the Academy of Arts and Design, Tsinghua University, Visiting Professor of the Central Academy of Fine Arts, Visiting Professor of Sichuan Fine Arts Institute, Visiting Professor of Beijing University of Technology. He has made great achievements in the field of Chinese contemporary ink painting and ink painting, innovated and developed the advantages of traditional Chinese ink splashing and color and fine brush painting, combined with contemporary elements and Western oil painting light and shadow colors to create a gorgeous, bright and harmonious series of color ink lotus and landscape paintings, which is known as another "king of color ink lotus" after Huang Yongyu and Yuan Yunfu. He has completed a number of large-scale government projects independently, and dozens of his works have been collected by art museums, foundations and government agencies at home and abroad.
On the Evolution and Procedures of Contemporary Ink Patterns
The production of contemporary art works is influenced by the era and working environment in which the artist lives, and the artist will integrate his life and work experience into his artwork when creating, which is the reason why art comes from life and is higher than life. Artistic creation is not isolated, it is the emotional expression of the artist's emotions and life, as well as contemporary society.
As a metaphor or symbol of Chinese culture, the value system of ink painting lies in the fact that it provides a set of cognitive concepts about the world and the corresponding brush and ink programs.
As far as contemporary forms of communication are concerned, graphics are more intuitive, more vivid and more likely to generate strong memories than words. In today's globalized world, time and space are more rapid and complex than ever before. However, the contemporary nature of a mature work of art will be unique in the era in which it exists, proudly and proudly, and gain its own value. As far as every successful artist is concerned, if you look closely, his artistic expression, language and subject matter are very graphic and individual—we call it recognizability. This is the direction that every artist pursues throughout his life.
As a unit of the powerful matrix of Chinese culture, ink painting is a national image nurtured by the multicultural genes of "harmony and difference" of many ethnic groups living in this land, rather than a pure totem based on simple isomorphism based on blood kinship. The ink language schema is a spiritual aristocracy accumulated in a long period of history, economy, society, politics, religion, and folk psychology. Since the Tang and Song dynasties, there have been great artists who have crossed history and illuminated the stars. Ink painting is one of the most wonderful carriers of Chinese cultural memory, and it was the peak of ink art in the Ming and Qing dynasties. It was on the basis of repeated reading of history that I stumbled upon the pattern of Taihu Lake stone and lotus painted by the great painter Chen Hongshou of the Ming Dynasty. Combined with the color ink lotus that I have been creating continuously for more than ten years, my "Taihu Lake Stone and Lotus" series was born.
Taihu stone series of works, is from the end of Tang Gaozong, 683-690 Wu Zetian as Tang Zhongzong, Tang Ruizong's empress dowager in the dynasty system, after the establishment of Wu Zhou Emperor (690-705), folklore Wu Zetian wants to change the dynasty, civil and military ministers are not satisfied, said to women as emperors, unless the stone blooms, just at that time someone reported to the court, in Taihu Lake found that there are lotus flowers from the stone cave out of the flowering, this is a thousand years of auspicious signs. He also recited the proverb of the Minister of Civil and Military Affairs, and Wu Zetian changed the dynasty and established the Great Zhou, the first female emperor in ancient and modern times. Since then, Taihu Lake stone has become a kind of literary appreciation of literati, doctors and nobles, and it is highly respected, until today. "Water Margin" is a story led by Taihu Lake stone. From this allusion, I excavated the Taihu Stone series, and expressed this auspicious omen once in a thousand years with images. Let everyone feel the charm of art. The combination of fine brushwork and freehand painting, the contrast between tradition and contemporary, gives people a strong visual impact, and it is pleasing to the eye after viewing, with endless aftertaste. This is the ink schema created by the contemporary ink language.
As a knowledge system in a new context, the spread of contemporary ink painting is the oriental charm that appears in the differentiation of the Western cultural context, which is a cultural context that has lasted for thousands of years. The existence of Chinese ink is determined by the fact that it has a perfect industrial chain with orderly inheritance, and its unique story of paper, pen, ink, inkstone, and gold and stone engraving presents the eternal power of ink culture. Only the truth of the soul is the truth of ink painting. I have been using ink to create landscapes, figures, flowers and birds for more than 30 years, and I have created countless works. However, through the transformation of time and space, what finally exists in the long river of human art is "Taihu Lake Stone and Lotus Flower".
Western futurists argue that art is an avant-garde that abandons tradition. Contemporary Oriental ink painting, on the other hand, focuses on coming from tradition and transcending oneself. Ink painting is still Tao, calligraphy and painting have the same origin. In order to develop contemporary ink painting in depth, it is necessary to use calligraphy skills as the cornerstone to enhance the strength of brush and ink expression, and ink painting is an art of cultivation.
Contemporary ink painting to the Oriental unique mode of thinking as a starting point, so that we through ink to be rational and meditative, and make people become a well-rounded person, so as to find a new harmony between man and nature, showing the scene of Zen, I have practiced calligraphy since childhood, in recent years in the creation of calligraphy "Diamond Sutra" Integrating with the Taihu Stone Lotus series, it creates a new series full of Zen paintings, expressing the most contemporary ink language to the most traditional interest of brush and ink, so the ink language is invincible, and the Zen realm makes contemporary ink painting have a way home.
With the contemplation of intuitive observation, experience life in the condensation and implication of ink painting, expression and self-realization, break the boundaries of landscape painting, figure painting, flower and bird painting, Chinese painting, and Western painting, isomorphic concrete and abstract visual language, and run through the aura of the spirit of the times, so that the independent expression of the self-spirit becomes a possibility.
Today, the confusion of contemporary ink painting lies in the incomprehensible use of the spirit of calligraphy, and contemporary artists need to study calligraphy more deeply in order to be favored by the times. Chinese ink painting is a unique art in the world. However, the evolution of ink painting is the evolution of the personality of human beings and self-consciousness.
Today, contemporary ink painting constructs the time and space of the universe, breaking through the elements of abstraction, movement, transparency, concave and convex, drifting, black and white, color and light, bursting and converging in the visual field, so that art can dialogue with the soul and spread through a wider range of mass media.
Human culture will eventually be isomorphic by the development of science and technology. Life is finite, and only art can be eternal.
He Xiaohu, born in Zigong City, Sichuan Province in 1970, studied painting from a young age. In 1989, he was admitted to the Central Academy of Arts and Crafts (now the Academy of Fine Arts at Tsinghua University) and studied under renowned artists. During his time at school, many of his works were collected by the academy. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in 1993 and obtained the same degree as a graduate student in murals in 1997. I am currently a doctoral supervisor at the Graduate School of the Chinese Academy of Art, a contracted painter at The ART door Foundation in the United States, a member of the Chinese Artists Association, Executive Vice President of the Chinese Academy of Calligraphy and Painting, a special invited painter at the Sichuan Provincial Museum, a member of the China Association for Cultural and Art Exchange with Foreign Countries, a standing member and visiting professor of the Hong Kong International Painting Academy, a first-class artist, director of the Landscape Branch of the World Chinese Artists Association, a member of the Chinese Poetry Association, a member of the Chinese National Studies Research Association, an ambassador for Chinese National Studies, a visiting professor at the School of Fine Arts at Tsinghua University, a visiting professor at the Central Academy of Fine Arts, a visiting professor at the Sichuan Academy of Fine Arts, and a visiting professor at Beijing Institute of Technology. In the field of contemporary Chinese ink painting and water painting, he has made great achievements, innovated and developed the advantages of traditional Chinese splashing and meticulous painting, combined with contemporary elements and Western oil painting light and shadow colors, and created a series of colorful and lively ink lotus and landscape paintings that blend the East and the West. He is known as another "king of colorful ink lotus" after the two masters Huang Yongyu and Yuan Yunfu. Independently completed multiple large-scale government projects, and dozens of works have been collected by domestic and foreign art museums, foundations, and government agencies.
On the Evolution and Programming of Contemporary Ink Painting Patterns
The emergence of contemporary art works is influenced by the era and work environment in which artists live. When creating, artists will integrate their own life and work experiences into their art works. This is why art originates from life and is higher than life. Art creation is not isolated, it is the artist's expression of emotions, life, and contemporary society.
As a metaphor or symbol of Chinese culture, the value system of ink painting lies in its provision of a set of cognitive concepts for the world and its corresponding brush and ink programs.
In terms of contemporary forms of communication, graphics are more intuitive, vivid, and easier to generate strong memories than language. In today's globalized world, time and space have become more rapid and complex than any previous era. However, the contemporary attributes of a mature work of art will be unique in its era of existence, standing out and gaining its own value. For every successful artist, upon careful study, their artistic expression language and techniques, as well as their subject matter, possess a highly graphic personality - what we call discernment. This is the direction that every artist pursues throughout their life.
Ink painting, as a powerful unit of Chinese culture, is a national image nurtured by the diverse cultural genes of multiple ethnic groups living on this land, rather than a pure totem based on blood ties. The pattern of ink and wash language is a spiritual aristocrat accumulated over a long history, economy, society, politics, religion, and folk psychology. Since the Tang and Song dynasties, there have been great artists who have transcended history and illuminated the world. Ink painting is one of the most splendid carriers of Chinese cultural memory, and it was also a peak of ink painting art during the Ming and Qing dynasties. It was on the basis of repeated reading of history that I stumbled upon the pattern of the Taihu Lake Lake stone and lotus painted by Chen Hongshou, a great painter of the Ming Dynasty. After a lot of comparative studies, I found a new creative pattern. In combination with the colorful ink lotus I have created for more than ten years, my the Taihu Lake Lake Stone and Lotus series was born.
The series of the Taihu Lake Lake stone works originated from the late years of Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty. From 683 to 690, Empress Wu Zetian was called the empress dowager of Emperor Zhongzong and Emperor Ruizong of the Tang Dynasty, and later established herself as Emperor Wu Zhou (690-705). According to folk legends, Empress Wu Zetian wanted to change the dynasty, but the ministers of literature and military were not satisfied. They said that women should be emperors unless the stones blossomed. At that time, someone reported to the court that lotus flowers were found in the Taihu Lake Lake and blossomed out of the cave, which was a good omen for thousands of years. After reciting the proverb of the Minister of Civil and Military Affairs, Empress Wu Zetian changed her dynasty and established the Great Zhou, the first female emperor in ancient and modern history. Since then, the Taihu Lake Lake Stone has become a kind of cultural reward for literati, doctors and nobles, which is highly respected today. "Outlaws of the Marsh" is a story led by the Taihu Lake Lake Stone. I excavated the the Taihu Lake Lake stone series from this allusion, and expressed the auspicious omen once in a thousand years with images. Let everyone feel the charm of art. The combination of meticulous brushwork and freehand brushwork, as well as the contrast between traditional and contemporary styles, creates a strong visual impact that is pleasing to the eye and leaves a lasting impression. This is the ink painting pattern created by contemporary ink language.
Contemporary ink painting, as a knowledge system in a new context, its dissemination is the Eastern charm manifested in the differentiation of Western cultural contexts, which is a millennium long cultural context. The existence of Chinese ink painting is determined by its perfect industrial chain of orderly inheritance. The unique stories of paper, pen, ink, inkstone, and inscriptions on gold and stone present the eternal power of ink culture. Only the truth of the soul is the truth of ink painting. I have used ink and wash to create various themes such as landscapes, characters, flowers and birds for over thirty years, with countless works. However, through the transformation of time and space, what ultimately exists in the long river of human art is the Taihu Lake Lake Stone and Lotus.
Western futurists advocate that art is avant-garde in abandoning tradition. However, contemporary ink painting in the East focuses on walking from tradition and transcending oneself. Ink painting and calligraphy share the same origin. In order for contemporary ink painting to develop in depth, it is necessary to use calligraphy skills as the cornerstone to enhance the intensity of brush and ink expression. Ink painting is an art of cultivation.
Contemporary ink painting starts from the unique thinking mode of oriental people, which enables us to be rational and meditative through ink painting, and make people become fully developed people, so as to find a new harmony between man and nature, and show the vision of Zen. I practiced calligraphy since I was young. In my creation in recent years, I integrated the calligraphy "Diamond Sutra" with the the Taihu Lake Lake stone lotus series, and created a new series full of Zen paintings. The most contemporary ink language expresses the most traditional interest of ink painting. Therefore, ink language is invincible. The Zen realm is home for contemporary ink painting, and it has a way to go home.
Through intuitive contemplation, experiencing life through the conciseness and subtlety of ink and wash, expressing and self-awareness, breaking the boundaries of landscape painting, figure painting, flower and bird painting, Chinese painting, and Western painting, constructing concrete and abstract visual language, and combining it with the spirit of the times, making independent expression of one's own spirit possible. Although ink and wash has developed for thousands of years, it will reach its peak in various eras. We all want to become those who stand at the peak and dedicate our lives to it.
Today, the confusion of contemporary ink painting lies in the misunderstanding and misuse of the spirit of calligraphy. Contemporary artists need to delve deeper into calligraphy in order to gain the favor of the times. Chinese ink painting is a unique art in the world. However, the evolution of ink painting is the evolution of human and self-awareness personality development.
Today, contemporary ink painting breaks through the visual realm of abstraction, dynamism, transparency, concavity and convexity, drift, black and white, color and light, explosion and convergence in the construction of space and time, allowing art and the soul to converse and spread through a wider range of mass media.
Human culture will eventually be isomorphized by the development of technology. Life is limited, but only art can be eternal.