Chen Jialing

painted in 1990
(i) signed, dated 1990 and marked with four seals of the artist
(ii) signed and marked with two seals of the artist

Plum Blossoms, Hong Kong
Important Private Asian Collection

'Morning Lotus' - Transformation: Chen Jialing, Plum Blossoms (International) Ltd., Hong Kong, China, 1990, pl. 64

 

Both images are overall in very good condition. Framed with acrylic: 133.5 by 81 cm each.
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“One must understand that the dots, patches and lines in ink paintings are not executed randomly but rather, are placed according to certain rhythms.” ¹ – Chen Jialing

Born in 1937 in Hangzhou, Chen Jialing graduated from the Zhejiang Academy of Art, where he studied with the esteemed masters Pan Tianshou and Lu Yanshao. In the 1980s, while teaching at the Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts, Chen formed his unique artistic style under the influence of ancient Chinese mural paintings and Western watercolours, simultaneously co-founding the Cao Cao Group in pursuit of innovative artistic spirits, techniques and styles. Characterized by layered pale ink washes and simple compositions, Chen’s paintings often display a sense of natural spontaneity and harmonious interplay between brush, ink and paper, which lure the viewer into an intimate space of serenity. 

The lotus flower is one of Chen’s favourite subjects, whose natural transformation constantly provides inspiration for his artistic creation. Morning Lotus and Transformation presents a late autumn scene with seedpods and dry leaves barely supported by withered stems. The overall cool tone with greyish-blue washes and rhythmic dots conveys a quiet and meditative atmosphere. Red Lotus Bud (Lot 801), on the contrary, is full of newborn energy and vitality seen in early summer, manifested in  the use of bright colours and the symmetrical composition centralizing the red bud. The monochrome Ink Lotus (Lot 843) combines two stages in between, visualizing the free interaction between ink and water on paper seen in large areas of washes representing the leaves. 

Though distinct in their pictorial atmosphere, all three works exemplify Chen’s innovative painting techniques, seen in his deceptively random dots merged with patches of soft ink washes, whose contours clearly reveal the way colours naturally flow, permeate, and defuse into the paper. The painting process, as Chen explains, is like a mutual dialogue: “on one hand, I am painting with a brush; on the other hand, the rice paper is also ‘painting’ spontaneously. It seems like we two are playing a game with each other.”² In this way, Chen has taken the traditional bird-and-flower subject into a new stage with his creative exploration of the medium. Moreover, with his solid background in traditional Chinese painting, Chen not only preserves the legacy of Pan Tianshou and Lu Yanshao, but also adds modern interpretations and innovative perspectives to it in building his unique artistic landscape that, as the curator Fan Di’an contends, will achieve its own inspirational legacy for younger generation artists.³    

¹ Zhu Linyong, “I ink, therefore I am”, China Daily, August 30, 2007.

² ArtNetworking, “Featured Artists: Chen Jialing”, accessed in July 2017.

³ Fan Di’an, “Land of Purity: The Art of Chen Jialing”,  Zhongguo Nanfang Yishu, Sept. 28, 2012.