Karin Weber Gallery artist Zhu Jingyi is a contemporary ink painter and abstract artist who takes traditional Chinese subject matter – trees, scholar rocks and landscapes- and transforms them into 3D works in resin. Zhu Jingyi provocatively refers to his works as "ink," even as gravity-defining acrylic is really at play. In so doing, the artist is deliberately challenging preconceived notions of ink painting (in the traditional sense) by questioning the very methods and materials that make up its DNA. Zhu takes as his subject matter all that is familiar in the genre—forests, mountains, trees, and rocks—and lends fortification with the application of three-dimensional structure using modern-day technology. The resulting effect is akin to space trusses or lattice shells reminiscent of Buckminster Fuller's geodesic designs, but in free form. The effect is mesmerizing—the viewer is pulled in close, held captive by the works' allure. Spiritually connected to ink traditions, but materially allied with contemporary art making, the artist has added yet another layer to contemplate in the great tradition of ink painting appreciation.
