Inner Dawning

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Hong Zhu An : Inner Dawning

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Hong Zhu An Inner Dawning

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On Hong Zhu An by iola Lenzi

The twenty-first century has been dubbed the Asian century, mirroring the continent’s economic awakening after the great upheavals of the previous hundred years. In recent decades China in particular has seen dramatic change in her cultural landscape as the iconography of the masses, East and West, has become pervasive in her artists’ creative repertoire. As a result, ink painting, or guó huà, has for some years been seemingly eclipsed by the pop imagery of the post-Tiananmen generation painters. Yet brush, line and paper remain at the core of Chinese expression, not because guó huà embodies ‘tradition’, an immutable and non-porous discipline removed like a relic from life and its events, but rather because of the medium’s very ability to respond to new realities.

Hong Zhu An, an unflinching and nearly exclusive proponent of ink for over thirty years, has from the beginning of his voyage with guó huà been focused on in its potential for revolution, as opposed to its sacred place in Chinese art history. In the artist’s hand, brush and ink have been co-opted as a means of changing our view of painting, from outside Chinese artistic tradition as well as from within.

Though Hong’s early expressive vision was forged in China, through his years at the Shanghai Art & Craft Institute, and then at the Sichuan Art Academy, the artist’s life, from his late-twenties onward, was spent roaming the world and absorbing the ways from which those in other cultures translate their ideas into signs and markings. But if Hong, as a diasporic Chinese, was intrigued by what he saw, it was in the way fellow artists’ methods triggered thinking about his own vernacular, anchored in

China. He opened his mind to the world and sought to understand it from his own vantage point.

He took in hungrily but never strayed from his belief in the power of the line, grounded in the millennium-old art of calligraphy, nor his espousal of painting as a conduit for the exploration of man’s place in the universe.

Unlike many of his compatriots, he did not look at the art of other cultures and strive to appropriate it materially or formally. Whether periscoping in on Aboriginal representations of the land, or 20th century Western modernism, Hong analysed ethos, philosophies and processes linking ways of being in the world. Art beyond China was an opportunity for self-reflection and scrutiny of home, not an exercise in borrowing.

Based in Singapore for many years, the Nanyang embraced more than half a century before by locally-lionised émigré Chinese painters such as Liu Kang, Cheong Soo Pieng and Chen Wen Hsi, Hong Zhu An, unlike the former, has not been interested in blending Eastern and Western languages, or inventing a new style based on local imagery1.

Mastering Western pictorial forms — naturalism, figuration — early in his career, Hong soon moved on from these, their technical lessons learnt, brush, ink, paper and line calling him once more.

What he did share however with his compatriots, the migrant artists before him, was an open frame of mind that allowed the foreign to penetrate. The sultry nights of the tropics, as well as the islandstate’s mix of cultures, provided the painter new experiences and directions.

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Detail of Ice Lake, 2011

Hong Zhu An’s goal, never looking backward, was and is to take his medium forward and with a twenty-first century visual tool box all his own, express universal ideas through the prism of the self: spirituality, man’s place in the cosmos, power, sexuality, time, never represented literally, are evoked through ink, brush and line. Over three decades Hong Zhu An has developed a highly personal and always evolving lexicon of strokes, colour planes, scratches, blurrings and layered washes that translate his ideas. But his exploitation of proto-abstraction2, deliberate and thoughtful, has its genesis in Chinese conceptions of the marriage of paint and feeling, not the formalism of Western abstraction.

Distancing himself from Greenberg’s high modernist art for art’s sake3, he is no more a follower of the 1980s and 1990s Chinese Maximalists as described by Gao Minglu4. With his paintings Hong is not producing systems, nor is he aiming to repeat patterns such that his surfaces can be decoded. These are not optical pieces, striving to create an effect, nor are they metaphors, but instead individual and unique portraits of a way of being with the world, the natural world an ongoing if elliptical reference. In this creation of tension as the painter exposes his soul, they are inscribed in Chinese tradition, capturing the essential and the possible5. But Hong is no longer descriptive, mountains, rocks and trees absent from his purest works. With ink and wash he enters a new relationship with a grander, wider nature that has no form or name. His forum is paper, which from the 1990s, he covers entirely, the physical weight of superimposed pigments lending his pieces corpus beyond the two-dimensional.

This layering of colour soon becomes Hong’s signature, the artist’s meticulously superimposed membranes of watery pigment creating luminous grounds that are faintly iridescent and shift subtly with the light. Remaining faithful through the decades to this method of construction, it is the conversation between Hong Zhu An’s intensely lively line, and deep, generous ground that characterises his oeuvre.

Distinctive colour-fields provide a playground for the artist’s line, sometimes full and softly sensual, or bellicose as it rips through layers of tinted wash dressing the paper’s surface.

Hong’s is a calligrapher’s line, feathery-dry or sharply scarring, always sure, over the years a constant foil to the layered pigment skins, no area of supporting paper ever revealed. The works come to life as Hong coaxes his strokes out into the public forum. Early on his paintings were a union of austere markings and earth-toned or wateryhued grounds. Signs out of time, reminiscent of Chinese characters but often deliberately illegible, leant an archeological flavour to these works of the 1990s. Then Hong toyed with breakage, rupturing his line staccato-fashion, creating an even, insistent rain of strokes emerging from surface. After this, the line, thickened and swelled up with ink, would sometimes move off beyond the paper’s edges, its irrepressibility contrasted with the calm depths of its colourfield support.

Never content to repeat, Hong Zhu An has over time continued to tease his line, pushing it to respond to his own changes of outlook and state of being, to take on his own energies and thought patterns.

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At times isolated, solemn, and unflinching, Hong’s strokes have been few on the paper. A year later, they are unrecognizable, metamorphosed into tight, frantic and innumerable scratches, lacerating the surface they rise from. Violence, desire, anger are palpable here, a hot crimson ground emphasising the mood. Some months on, Hong Zhu An’s line has regained its composure, is now sensuous and melting, stroke and layered ground confused, like bodies entwined.

More latterly still, the artist has again begun experiments with ground, building it up as he has for years only to scratch away entire pigment layers in some areas, nearly exposing the paper beneath.

Though process appears to have come full circle, much has been gleaned on Hong’s continuing creative odyssey, these recent pieces not a return but instead once more staking new terrain in the field of Chinese painting.

With his passion for exploration, unequivocal belief in ink’s ability to express the new, and virtuous command of brush, line and wash, Hong Zhu An and his art make a powerful case for the central place of guó huà at the heart of contemporary Chinese visual culture.

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notes 1.

Singapore art historian T.K. Sabapathy is thought to be the first in the field to have defined the Nanyang style espoused by some Chinese émigré artists in mid 20th century Malaya.

Amongst other things, he described it as a combination of Chinese pictorial and School of Paris traditions. In addition to their hybrid style, Nanyang artists frequently depicted local and regional life rather than life in China. See also Kwok Kian Chow, ‘Channels & Confluences: a history of Singapore art’, Singapore Art Museum, 1996.

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In numerous interviews with the author since 1995, the artist has asserted that his painting is not formalist for the sake of formalism, is not influenced by Western abstraction, and has its genesis in Hong’s sense of self-exploration, a material expression of his curiosity and freedom vis a vis his own culture. In this, Hong Zhu An’s work would conform to Chinese critic Liu Libin’s ‘third type of abstraction’, unique and individualistic, but not divorced from Chinese culture. See Liu Libin, ‘Chen Ruo Bing’s Abstract Painting’, www.artzinechina.com, vol. 600

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By the 1960’s New York critic Clement Greenberg saw modernism as having attained a state of complete selfreference. See Greenberg, ‘Modernist Painting’, Art and Literature, 1965, no. 4.

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See Chinese critic and art historian Gao Minglu, ‘Does Abstract Art Exist in China?’, www.artzinechina.com, vol. 470 for comments about the Chinese Maximalists.

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Francois Jullien, ‘In Praise of Blandness’ - proceeding from Chinese thought and aesthetics, Zone Books, New York, 2004, for a comparison of Chinese and Western aesthetics, in particular regarding concepts of reality, time, movement, and potentiality.

iola Lenzi September 2011 iola Lenzi is a Singapore-based researcher, critic and curator who has written extensively about the work of Hong Zhu An. She is a specialist of Southeast Asian contemporary art, conceptualising exhibitions around the region, including the recent Negotiating Home, History and Nation in collaboration with Singapore Art Museum.

She is a frequent contributor to international art periodicals and anthologies, and the author of two books.

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Foreword

When I first met Hong Zhu An about five years ago and saw his work, what captivated me instantly was the quiet serenity of his paintings.

Despite the fact that Hong’s work is modern, minimalist and considered a contemporary mix of Eastern and Western influences, his style possesses a distinct characteristic whereby one can immediately recognise the Chinese sentiment in his work, through the abstract lines of his brushstrokes. It is precisely this traditional Chinese concept of the emphasis of line, which grounds his work and gives Hong his unique artistic signature.

The title of this collection of his works, 从心开始 (Inner Dawning), reflects what I, personally, feel is the reason for the overwhelmingly positive reaction toward his work. Each brushstroke comes from the heart, allowing his pieces to manifest an energy, free from all material or worldly entanglements and exposing his earnest sincerity as an artist.

This particular series includes his rarely-produced canvas work, and is a physical representation of the fruition of his artistic endeavours over this past year. Within this new series, his contemporary ink paintings are maps of new territories he has charted in his mission to bring the traditional art of Chinese Ink Paintings to the new century – building on his already established technique of super-imposing pigments and layering thin washes. Alongside his typical body of work, Hong also explores a distinctly different subject matter: the winter landscape of nature. Through the conscious application of lines, Hong Zhu An is able to capture the beauty of its melancholy and solitude in full splendor.

It is with great pleasure that I bring you the fruits of Hong Zhu An’s labour over the past 2 years through this exhibition on 14 October 2011, and sincerely hope that you will experience for yourself, an inner dawning.

Jazz Chong Director, Ode To Art

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Ink on Paper

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Ancient Wall(I) 老墙 (I) 125 x 105 cm 2004

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Ancient Wall(II) 老墙 (II) 125 x 105 cm 2004

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Imprint 心迹 125 x 105 cm 2004

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Mesmerize 静看 120 x 105 cm 2008

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Elegance 雅趣 125 x 105 cm 2010

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Satisfactory 满园 125 x 105 cm 2010

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Harmony 静为緣 125 x 105 cm 2011

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Ice Lake 冰湖 140 x 105 cm 2011

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Rhythmic Ink 墨韵 125 x 105 cm 2011

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Serenity 空灵 105 x 90 cm 2011

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Soundless 无語 125 x 105 cm 2011

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Whispering Moon 月呤 105 x 100 cm 2011

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Acrylic on Canvas

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Yin Yang Mountain Water 阴阳山水 200 x 93 cm 2002

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Distant Dreams 遥远的梦 100 x 100 cm 2002

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Dawn 晨曦 140 x 140 cm 2009

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Mirage 彼岸 140 x 140 cm 2009

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Forest 林 100 x 100 cm 2010

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Tranquility Таќ 120 x 120 cm 2010

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Enlightened 悟 100 x 100 cm 2011

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Far From The Mountain 青山远眺 120 x 120 cm 2011

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Everlasting Love 不了情 140 x 100 cm 2011

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Recollection 追忆 135 x 70 cm 2011

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Nostalgia 乡情 140 x 100 cm 2011

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Rested Emotions 放下 120 x 100 cm 2011

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Autumn Scenery 秋色 140 x 100 cm 2009

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Sings ĺ’?

180 x 70 cm 2011

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Whistle In The Wind 风语 120 x 100 cm 2011

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Hong Zhu An

1955 Born in Shanghai, China 1973 – 1976 Trained at the Shanghai Art & Craft Institute, China

Studied under famous art scholar Wang Zidou 1976 – 1989 Assistant Lecturer at the Shanghai Art & Craft Institute, China 1982 – 1983 Studied under Professor Huang Wei Yi in the Sichuan Art Academy, China 1989 – 1993 Full-time Artist in Sydney, Australia 1993 – 1996 Full-time Artist in Singapore 1997 Master of Arts, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Australia.

At LaSalle-SIA College of Arts, Singapore 1998 – 2001 Research conducted towards Ph.D., Fine Art, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 2002- present Full-time Artist based in Singapore and Shanghai

Solo Exhibitions 2011 Hong Zhu An, Ode to Art, Singapore 2009 Hong Zhu An: Intrepid Heart, Naked Soul, Valentine Willie Fine Art Gallery 2008 Reflections on a Long Journey, Plum Blossoms Gallery, Hong Kong Hong Zhu An, Ode To Art, Singapore 2006 A Deep Breath of Life, Art 2 Gallery, Singapore New Exuberance – organized by Plum Blossoms Gallery, Hong Kong An Exhibition of Ten Years of Painting (1996 – 2006). Paintings for Sale by

Silent Auction, YADDO Art, Windsor Ballroom, The Goodwood Park Hotel, Singapore 2005 New Directions, Plum Blossoms Gallery, Hong Kong Bali Escapade – Recent Paintings by Hong Zhu An”, iPreciation Pte Ltd, Singapore 2004 Going Forward, Plum Blossoms Gallery, New York, USA 2003 A Long Journey, Plum Blossoms Gallery, Hong Kong Fluid Transitions, The Esplanade, Singapore 2002 Ancient Hues, Plum Blossoms Gallery, New York, USA Ancient Hues, Featherstone Center for the Arts, Massachusetts, USA 2001 The Color of Memory, Plum Blossoms Gallery, New York, USA 2000 Field of Virtue, Plum Blossoms Gallery, Singapore Field of Virtue, Plum Blossoms Gallery, Hong Kong 1997 RMIT Master of Arts Graduate Exhibition, LaSalle Gallery,

LaSalle-SIA College of The Arts, Singapore 1996 The Essence of Art, Art Forum, Singapore 1995 UOB The Painting of the Year Winners’ Exhibition, UOB Plaza, Singapore East – West: Abstraction Meets Calligraphy, The Substation, Singapore 1987 Hong Zhu An – Exhibition, National Art Museum Shanghai, China

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Group Exhibitions 2006 The 5th International Ink Painting Biennial of Shenzhen, China 2005 The Second Beijing International Art Biennale, China 2004 Do a Book: Asian Artists Summer Project, Plum Blossoms Gallery, New York, USA Double Surface – Hong Zhu An & Takayo Seto, Plum Blossom Gallery, New York, USA The International Asian Art Fair, New York, USA,

organized by Plum Blossoms Gallery, New York, USA 2003 The International Asian Art Fair, New York, USA,

organized by Plum Blossoms Gallery, New York, USA 2002 The Singapore Art, Plum Blossoms Gallery, New York, USA The International Asian Art Fair, New York, USA,

organized by Plum Blossoms Gallery,Hong Kong 2001 The International Asian Art Fair, New York, USA,

organized by Plum Blossoms Gallery, Hong Kong 2000 The International Asian Art Fair, New York, USA,

organized by Plum Blossoms Gallery, Hong Kong Melbourne Art Fair 2000, Australia, organized by Art Forum, Singapore 1999 The International Asian Art Fair, New York, USA, organized by Art Forum, Singapore Beyond Tradition – Art of the New Migrant Chinese, Earl Lu Gallery,

LaSalle-SIA College of the Arts, Singapore

Awards 1994 UOB Painting of the Year Grand Award, Singapore 1988 The Best 100, The National Ink Painting Competition, China

Auctions 2004 October, Larasati Muse Investments Pte Ltd 2003 July, Christie’s, Hong Kong 2001 April, Christie’s, Singapore 1999 October, Christie’s, Singapore March, Christie’s, Singapore

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Corporate & Public Collections The Singapore Art Museum The National Art Museum, Philippines The Wuxi Museum, Wuxi, China The Newark Museum, New Jersey, USA The Spencer Museum of Art, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, USA The Princeton University Art Museum, Princeton, New Jersey, USA The Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, San Francisco, USA The Khoan and Michael Sullivan Collection, Oxford, UK The Tel Aviv Museum of Art, Tel Aviv, Israel The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Singapore Singapore Airlines The National Library, Singapore The Peninsula Hotel, Bangkok, Thailand The Grand Plaza Hotel, Singapore Raffles, The Plaza, Singapore Fullerton Hotel, Singapore Langham Southgate Melbourne Hotel, Australia LaSalle SIA College of the Arts, Singapore National Institute of Education, Singapore United Overseas Bank, Singapore Credit Suisse First Boston, Singapore Deutsche Bank and Deutsche Asset Management, Singapore Goldman Sachs, Singapore McKinsey & Company, Singapore Wheelock Properties (Singapore) Ltd, Singapore Fidelity Investments, Singapore SC Global Development Ltd, Singapore Coutts Bank, Singapore Kheng Leong Co (Pte) Ltd, Singapore Private Collections Singapore, Malaysia, China, Indonesia, Japan, USA, England, France, Switzerland, Sweden, Germany, Australia, Israel and Hong Kong

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Design Relay Room Essay On Hong Zhu An Š iola Lenzi 2011 Meaurements of artworks are given in centimetres printed and bound in singapore