All Chinese paintings do not really look alike

Dear friends,

Once, after lecturing before the Malaysian Art Council, I was asked by an English curator why all Chinese paintings looked alike. I replied the reason was the same as when Asians cannot differentiate between the different European nationalities during their first visit to the West -- lack of exposure and not being familiar enough with the subject to know how and where to look for variations and telling characteristics. May this article help prevent you from making such a faux pas.

I am often asked, "Does a Chinese artist ever paint an abstract painting?" Of course, as calligraphy is nothing but abstract painting. A piece of calligraphy possesses all the elements of painting--form, space, line, color, texture, movement, composition, etc.

Sung calligrapher Lei Chien-Fu, who lived 1,000 years ago, heard the roar of the incoming tide while resting on his studio couch one day. He began to visualize the chase of the waves--high and low, fast and slow--and was moved to capture this motion on paper. He grasped his paintbrush and drew calligraphy. Thus, he exhausted his inspiration of the moment within this writing. That rendering was nothing but an abstract painting.

May you experience, at least once, in viewing a work of Chinese calligraphy, the aesthetic excitement of being conscious of the artist's sentiment and feelings at the time he was creating his work. The secret is to imagine or, better, actually follow with a brush, the brushstrokes of the work of art. From the turnings and movements of that brush one should be able to sense the sentiment being expressed by the artist.

In viewing a Chinese painting, may you soon come across one that will compel you to come back, again and again, to view it. Each time you do, may you discover within it some new meaning, some new interest, some new detail that escaped you previously. Chinese painting, with its economy of line, simplicity of form, imaginary perspective and light source, leaves much room for the imagination of the onlooker to fill in the details. That is your task.

I am certain that many of my readers have already tried or might now be tempted to wield the Chinese brush--an excellent way to appreciate what brushwork is all about. If you do, perhaps the advice given me by my teacher Ch'i Pai-Shih will guide you:

Be bold but careful,

diligence will bring perfection;

with these eight words,

a man can travel successfully

anywhere under the sky.

I would like to announce to all my dear readers that I will hold an exhibition of my recent art works in Jakarta by the end of this year.

Since I will be involved in a great deal of preparation for my show, I am afraid I will not be able to continue to write articles in this newspaper for a while. I do hope to resume my art column as soon as possible; I would like to write some articles on contemporary art in the future

Last but not least, I wish to express my best wishes to my readers.

Goodbye for now.

-- David Kwo