亞洲現代與當代藝術 Modern and Contemporary Asian Art

FLORA ZHOU Chunya
1989
90
Zhou Chunya returned to China in 1989, having been influenced
by Expressionism while in Germany. He devoted the following
years to the learning of literati arts of traditional Chinese, and
was particularly inspired by the masters Dong Qichang, Shitao,
Bada Shanren, and Huang Binhong. What he found were brand
new possibilities between the German Expressionism and the
“sentiments of brush and ink” of Chinese literati works. Since the
late 90s, he created many flower-themed pieces, paving a new road
with the historical
heritage of literati
paintings. In this
series the flowers
are often suspended
alone on the empty
canvas, representing
a call back to the
concept of “negative
space” from Chinese
ink wash painting,
which also restricts
the possibility of
further alteration.
“Flora”is one of the
fascinating works
among the series.
The brushwork in “Flora” is
bold and bright, showing
no signs of hesitation.
Green and red on the
canvas seem to both clash
and coalesce at the same
time. In the midst of such
rich color, blooming red
flowers with elegant leaves
and stems shine through,
displaying Zhou’s superb
ability to form his subjects.
Yet realistic depictions are
not what the artist is truly
concerned with. “Flora”
clearly conveys what Zhou
had learned from Chinese
literati traditions: the ethos
of “imbuing a scene with
feeling.” While Zhou inherited this ethos, his art takes a direction
which is opposite to the modesty and grace of the elder generation;
he gazes directly into the wishes and desires of humanity. The rich
layering of color and the texture of its surface, as well as the high
contrast of density in the spacing, enliven the once passive flower
into a burgeoning vitality. The painting maintains the flower’s gentle
charms, while allowing sudden glimpses of raging tension, mixing
gentleness and nobility with passion and impetuosity.While the
depiction of a lily in full bloom encompass qualities of a delicate
softness frequently found in the classical ink tradition, the nostalgic
composition of the brushstrokes adds dimension to the painting.
The artist have succeeded in capturing the essence of a lily in full
bloom, in line with a saying often utilized to describe the works of
Bada Shanren, which posits, “there is not a missed line, nor the
requirement of an extra brush stroke to bring out the beauty of the
subject matter.” The nostalgic airy brushstrokes of the flowering
blossom becomes the focal point against the white backdrop that
offers a delimitation of space, this attribute adheres to a theory in
the Chinese ink and wash paintings tradition that predicates upon
the notion where the void “is not devoid of sense”, as declares a
poem from the poet and painter Ma Desheng the early eighties.
The timeless beauty of flower in full bloom is reminiscence of
tradition while the simplified, more vigorous brushstrokes used to
render the stem and leafy sprigs issuing the nostalgic flowering lily
dances harmoniously upon the canvas.
1890
Van Gogh, Still Life: Vase with Irises Against a Yellow Background, 1890, oil on canvas,
92x 73.5 cm, Collection of Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam, Netherlands
2008526
Shitao, Floral Album (detail), ink and color on paper, 37.5 x 25 cm
26, May, 2008, Fine Chinese Classical Paintings and Caligraphy, Christie's, Hong Kong,
Private Collection