Zhong Kui

Author: Lin Shaodan
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-01-01
Features: Immortal and Buddha figures are one of the popular themes among the common people. Taoism and Buddhism have been practiced in China for over two thousand years. However, the veneration of immortal and Buddha figures in folk culture has far exceeded the boundaries of religion. People’s admiration and worship of these figures stem more from their noble qualities such as purity, kindness, bravery in doing good, upholding justice, and benevolence. As a result, painters did not depict immortal and Buddha figures in ethereal realms but instead portrayed them as ordinary people found in everyday life. This made these figures more relatable to the public, who found them even more and authentic.
The works selected for the "Traditional Chinese Character Painting Series" are precisely these traditional themes beloved by the people. In addition to the traditional subjects, the artistic techniques are also traditional. In the 1950s and 1960s, Chinese character painting incorporated Western chiaroscuro techniques, emphasizing three-dimensional form and reducing the dominant role of "bone method brushwork" in the works, thereby weakening the formal elements of ink and color. By the 1980s and 1990s, Western modern art influenced the style, turning brushwork and ink into symbols representing certain philosophies, concepts, emotions, or sensations. Of course, the development of art toward pluralism is natural and justifiable.
The character paintings in this series employ traditional brushwork and modeling, emphasizing lines, realism, and expressive power. I believe readers will be deeply captivated by the authentic charm of traditional art after viewing these works.