China Gallery - Issue 6

Author: Jia Dejiang, Editor-in-Chief
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-10-01
Features: The artistic form of Chinese painting is primarily based on brush and ink, which is different from technology. Technology can continuously develop on the basis of previous research. However, Chinese painting and calligraphy are different—they cannot directly improve upon the foundation of predecessors but must start from scratch. Others' skills and experiences are merely theirs. A painter at 20 has the feelings of 20, and at 60, the experiences of 60. One grows old, and learning never stops. The factors contributing to artistic success are multifaceted, including timing, geographical advantages, human relationships, and the interplay of innate and acquired qualities. What is truly rare is self-awareness. It means recognizing oneself. If one achieves a goal without making an effort to reach it, that is self-abandonment. To set impossible tasks as goals and force oneself to pursue them is self-deception. Time slips by, and the past is filled with hardships. This life is measurable.