Pearl Lam Galleries is pleased to announce its participation in the second edition of INK ASIA 2016, the first-ever art fair dedicated to contemporary ink art. With the largest stand in the HIGHLIGHTS section, the Galleries will feature works by the prominent Iranian artist and calligrapher Golnaz Fathi (b. 1972); celebrated Chinese artists Qiu Deshu (b. 1948), Qiu Zhenzhong (b. 1947), and Yan Binghui (b. 1956); along with works by new generation Chinese artist Yang Yongliang (b. 1980).
Golnaz Fathi’s works are entirely modern, even though traditional Persian calligraphy has a significant influence on her works. Compared to Chinese cursive (caoshu) script, Fathi’s works are more abstract, emphasising a growing, dizzying net of divergent, convergent, and parallel lines. The artist practices drawing lines on paper every day until the paper is covered with black ink. Fathi investigates ever more abstract forms of representation, using modern media to aid these explorations, while still basing her work on fundamental calligraphic practices and techniques.
As an important element of Chinese literati culture, ink brush has been practiced for over thousands of years. Chinese literati painting and calligraphy are absolutely central to the appreciation of Chinese art. Ink-wash art is derived from the very core of Chinese culture; as such, ink-wash artists are particularly dedicated to this unique medium.
Qiu Deshu continues his experimentation with Xuan paper to create pictorial fields with cracks and crevices that he feels are symbolic of life’s journey. His “fissuring” technique encompasses tearing Xuan paper, reconfiguring the pieces, and mounting them to form images, creating lines, or “fissures”, that travel across the painting’s expanse in a natural, free-flowing manner. While his work is indebted to Chinese landscape traditions, Qiu pushes their boundaries to create a new form of contemporary expression.
Inspired by the works of Western and Oriental masters, Qiu Zhenzhong reproduces them in his own way with a traditional training technique used in the study of classical Chinese calligraphy and ink painting, linmo. The aim of linmo is to use brushstrokes to capture and understand the essence of masterpieces through their details and techniques. Through his use of lyrical lines, form, and composition, the artist examines these iconic images from Western and Oriental culture and both poses and attempts to answer questions of tradition, art, and interpretation.
Different from Qiu Deshu and Qiu Zhenzhong, Yan Binghui extracts the expressiveness of traditional calligraphic works and infuses his art with a sense of contemporary literati style. Yan’s works include
reinterpretations of Chinese characters, macroscopic views, or ordinary objects, which break through the barriers of traditional writing and ink painting.
A newer generation of Chinese ink brush artists has emerged, who are reacting to Chinese traditions and influences in the new century by using new technical approaches.
Drawing from his formal education in the art of traditional Chinese shan shui painting, Yang Yongliang’s work exudes a strong sense of traditional aesthetics, although he continually engages with the modern. His works on canvas combines both urban and traditional elements, as he mixes cement with acrylic to paint mountainous landscapes.
As one of Asia’s leading galleries, Pearl Lam Galleries is committed to working with artists who push boundaries and reinvent traditions to create an aesthetic that reflects the dynamic changes of Asia today. The Galleries exhibits works by pioneering artists who create new visually complex languages while nevertheless staying true to a deeply rooted classical origin.