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Boldly going in new directions
By Xu Wenwen |
September 5, 2011, Monday
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Print Edition
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ARTIST Hua Jun has gained fame for his willingness to experiment with calligraphy and traditional ink-wash paintings. He says studying in Sweden made him realize Chinese art was his destiny, but that it was also good to push himself and try new things, writes Xu Wenwen.
Traditional Chinese painting and calligraphy are referred to as "traditional" because they originated more than 1,000 years ago, yet some contemporary artists are dedicated to injecting modern thoughts into these old art forms.
Hua Jun is a prime example.
Hua, 41, associate professor of the Chinese Traditional Painting Department at the China Academy of Art in Hangzhou, is well known for his thought-provoking Chinese calligraphies and Chinese figure paintings.
A recent work by Hua illustrates this perfectly. It is a huge piece of calligraphy created on a white degradable sheet covering a "garbage mountain" in Tianzi Mountain Park, which used to be Hangzhou's largest landfill.
There are eight characters - Bu Sheng Bu Mie, Bu Zeng Bu Jian, meaning "they neither arise nor cease, neither increase nor decrease," a quote from Heart Sutra, a Mahayana Buddhist sutra. Each character is about 50 square meters.
"The eight characters are more artistic calligraphy than a practice of writing, which points to social reality," says Hua. "It can be interpreted as balance, harmony, conservation of energy, or causality."
There is also a video of how Hua created the piece. It was recorded by Hua's coworkers and is considered a video artwork.
"Combining different art forms to express ideas is necessary for contemporary artists," he says.
Hua himself has learned various art forms. He majored in traditional Chinese painting at the China Academy of Art and then studied free art at the Sweden Royal Institute of Art from 1995 to 1998. In 2003, he returned to the China Academy of Art to earn a PhD in calligraphy.
Thirteen years ago when young Hua was determined to study in a foreign country, he expected to study how to make "East meets West," a popular artistic trend at the time. However, when he was far from home, Hua realized "Chinese culture is enough to satisfy me."
"When I was abroad, it was Chinese art that gave me power," Hua says.
He goes on to explain this is not just in a spiritual sense. During his second year in Sweden, his serialized Chinese painting "Tai Chi" won an award at the Liljevalchs Spring Salon, an annual national art salon held in Stockholm. Two local art galleries signed a contract with him after he won the award.
He also taught Chinese calligraphy at the Sweden Royal Institute of Art and Stockholm University, earning a decent salary to support himself.
"Even though the students could speak Chinese to varying degrees, they understood the shape and the line of calligraphy, and they are interested in studying the relations between water, ink and paper," Hua says.
'I am Chinese'
Traditional Chinese calligraphy is done with a brush dipped in black ink. The thin rice paper absorbs ink from each stroke. A different effect is achieved based on the quality of ink and paper, and even the humidity in the air.
"Calligraphy, seemingly about writing characters, is really an abstract art," Hua says. "Expanding a character to the utmost and the effect of shading coupled with osmosis is rather abstract.
"So water, ink and rice paper are no longer materials to me anymore, they become symbols of Chinese culture," he recalls.
"I am Chinese," a series of eight paintings, and "Snaps," a collection of 10 paintings, are considered his best from his time in Sweden.
He finished "I am Chinese" in 1997. The series is about a person who makes different gestures in each piece, but one eye is dilated in each painting. It's as if the person is observing those looking at the paintings.
"It is a work of loneliness, asking 'who am I?'" Hua says.
Snaps was a bar that Hua frequented when he was in Sweden, and the artwork involves 10 paintings, each 1 meter wide and 1.8 meters tall.
Then 10 works depict bar scenes in which some people are intoxicated, others are depressed, and some are dancing happily.
"Generally, people in Northern Europe are precise, but they turn vivid and adorable once they enter a bar. Bars are a mirror of society at large as they feature every kind of person imaginable," Hua says.
While Hua used traditional Chinese painting methods for the "Snaps" collection, he also experimented.
For example, the background is black and grey, yet no brushwork can be perceived. Hua says he created this smooth effect by adding something to the ink.
"Every art form has its advantages and disadvantages," he says. "For example, ink-and-wash paintings are not the best for strong contrasting colors, but it is an artist's responsibility to strive for the limit within the medium they choose," the painter says.
Hua says he considered staying in Sweden, but eventually decided he had to return to China for his art.
"Being far from my original culture made me scared somehow," he says. "Plus, I need to learn more about calligraphy, which involves the 'gene' of traditional Chinese culture, and has potential to be used in contemporary art."
Until January 3, Hua will have a solo exhibition in Hangzhou, displaying a series of works, which is about the "relationship between individuals and families."
Traditional Chinese painting and calligraphy are referred to as "traditional" because they originated more than 1,000 years ago, yet some contemporary artists are dedicated to injecting modern thoughts into these old art forms.
Hua Jun is a prime example.
Hua, 41, associate professor of the Chinese Traditional Painting Department at the China Academy of Art in Hangzhou, is well known for his thought-provoking Chinese calligraphies and Chinese figure paintings.
A recent work by Hua illustrates this perfectly. It is a huge piece of calligraphy created on a white degradable sheet covering a "garbage mountain" in Tianzi Mountain Park, which used to be Hangzhou's largest landfill.
There are eight characters - Bu Sheng Bu Mie, Bu Zeng Bu Jian, meaning "they neither arise nor cease, neither increase nor decrease," a quote from Heart Sutra, a Mahayana Buddhist sutra. Each character is about 50 square meters.
"The eight characters are more artistic calligraphy than a practice of writing, which points to social reality," says Hua. "It can be interpreted as balance, harmony, conservation of energy, or causality."
There is also a video of how Hua created the piece. It was recorded by Hua's coworkers and is considered a video artwork.
"Combining different art forms to express ideas is necessary for contemporary artists," he says.
Hua himself has learned various art forms. He majored in traditional Chinese painting at the China Academy of Art and then studied free art at the Sweden Royal Institute of Art from 1995 to 1998. In 2003, he returned to the China Academy of Art to earn a PhD in calligraphy.
Thirteen years ago when young Hua was determined to study in a foreign country, he expected to study how to make "East meets West," a popular artistic trend at the time. However, when he was far from home, Hua realized "Chinese culture is enough to satisfy me."
"When I was abroad, it was Chinese art that gave me power," Hua says.
He goes on to explain this is not just in a spiritual sense. During his second year in Sweden, his serialized Chinese painting "Tai Chi" won an award at the Liljevalchs Spring Salon, an annual national art salon held in Stockholm. Two local art galleries signed a contract with him after he won the award.
He also taught Chinese calligraphy at the Sweden Royal Institute of Art and Stockholm University, earning a decent salary to support himself.
"Even though the students could speak Chinese to varying degrees, they understood the shape and the line of calligraphy, and they are interested in studying the relations between water, ink and paper," Hua says.
'I am Chinese'
Traditional Chinese calligraphy is done with a brush dipped in black ink. The thin rice paper absorbs ink from each stroke. A different effect is achieved based on the quality of ink and paper, and even the humidity in the air.
"Calligraphy, seemingly about writing characters, is really an abstract art," Hua says. "Expanding a character to the utmost and the effect of shading coupled with osmosis is rather abstract.
"So water, ink and rice paper are no longer materials to me anymore, they become symbols of Chinese culture," he recalls.
"I am Chinese," a series of eight paintings, and "Snaps," a collection of 10 paintings, are considered his best from his time in Sweden.
He finished "I am Chinese" in 1997. The series is about a person who makes different gestures in each piece, but one eye is dilated in each painting. It's as if the person is observing those looking at the paintings.
"It is a work of loneliness, asking 'who am I?'" Hua says.
Snaps was a bar that Hua frequented when he was in Sweden, and the artwork involves 10 paintings, each 1 meter wide and 1.8 meters tall.
Then 10 works depict bar scenes in which some people are intoxicated, others are depressed, and some are dancing happily.
"Generally, people in Northern Europe are precise, but they turn vivid and adorable once they enter a bar. Bars are a mirror of society at large as they feature every kind of person imaginable," Hua says.
While Hua used traditional Chinese painting methods for the "Snaps" collection, he also experimented.
For example, the background is black and grey, yet no brushwork can be perceived. Hua says he created this smooth effect by adding something to the ink.
"Every art form has its advantages and disadvantages," he says. "For example, ink-and-wash paintings are not the best for strong contrasting colors, but it is an artist's responsibility to strive for the limit within the medium they choose," the painter says.
Hua says he considered staying in Sweden, but eventually decided he had to return to China for his art.
"Being far from my original culture made me scared somehow," he says. "Plus, I need to learn more about calligraphy, which involves the 'gene' of traditional Chinese culture, and has potential to be used in contemporary art."
Until January 3, Hua will have a solo exhibition in Hangzhou, displaying a series of works, which is about the "relationship between individuals and families."
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