Chinese Traditional Character Painting Series -- Zhong Kui

Author: Lin Shaodan
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-01-01
Features: The depiction of immortal and Buddha figures is one of the most popular themes among the general public. Taoism and Buddhism have been practiced in China for over two thousand years. However, the veneration of immortal and Buddha figures in folk culture far exceeds the boundaries of religion. People’s admiration and worship of these figures stem more from their noble qualities—such as purity, kindness, bravery in the face of injustice, the ability to dispel evil and uphold justice, and their generosity in helping others. As a result, painters did not depict immortal and Buddha figures in ethereal realms but rather portrayed them as ordinary, everyday people. This approach made these figures more relatable to the masses, who found them more familiar and authentic.
The works selected for the Series of Traditional Chinese Figure Painting are precisely these beloved traditional themes. In addition to the traditional subjects, the artistic techniques are also traditional. In the 1950s and 1960s, Chinese figure 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 Chinese painting again, turning brushwork and ink into symbols for expressing certain philosophies, concepts, emotions, or sensations. Of course, the development of art toward diversification is natural and justifiable.
The figure paintings in this series employ traditional brushwork and modeling, emphasizing lines, realism, and capturing the essence of the subjects. We believe that readers will be deeply captivated by the authentic charm of traditional art after viewing these works.