PAN GONGKAI

When studying the art of his father Pan Tianshou in the 1980s, the artist began to reckon the importance of xieyi, that is the expression of spontaneity and the spirit of a being through brushworks. Through this expressive technique and his preservation of the traditional concept of ink and brush, Pan’s works exude the elegance of the ancient literati. However his firm believe in producing large-scale works in a large brush and big splashes of ink (da bi da mo) confirms his sensitivity of how ink paintings can fit in the contemporary art context.

Particularly occupied with the recent and rapid explosion of Western influence on China in the last century, Pan’s works explore the intersections and divergences between Eastern and Western art traditions. By combining elements of both perspectives, he presents a new relevancy of Chinese brush and ink painting in today’s world. This fusion of Chinese and Western techniques, once viewed as completely divergent artistic practices, results in a series of work that does not seek to reconcile the differences between the East and West, but rather adapts their unique qualities to reflect a global perspective from today’s China.