Exhibition

「Mystique」

Wu Deng-yi’s Contemporary Ink Art Exhibition

The enigmatic and fantastical mountains and rocks symbolize a significant breakthrough in Wu Deng-yi’s recent artistic style. As an accomplished artist with well-honed painting techniques, Wu Deng-yi synthesizes classical and contemporary elements through continuous refinement.

Examining the character “崎” (Qi), surprisingly, Wu Deng-yi perfectly activates recent artistic endeavors and the evolving relationship with his creations. The ever-curious elder artist, akin to an

inquisitive child, daily observes the tangible reality and envisions the fantastical world constructed by his brain. Wrestling with internal conflicts, he attempts to eliminate elements ingrained over time, elements that have nurtured and symbolized his emotions and attitudes. Examples include the lofty and austere pavilion and the simple yet resilient boat navigating forward. Facing this challenging decision, he opts to distance himself from the artwork, allowing viewers to freely interpret the world he has crafted. This thoughtful and creative process undoubtedly follows a rugged path – the more landscapes observed along this journey, the more difficult the choices become.

The artistic conception of landscapes originates from within, and Wu Deng-yi’s curiosity and patient pursuit of breakthroughs manifest in the high recognizability, visual readability, and imaginative spatial elements of his works. Meticulously composed compositions, a sense of distance achieved through enlargement and contraction, and the fusion of color and ink in creating fantastical, surreal spaces underscore his dedication. In Wu Deng-yi’s mind, landscapes are a contemporary philosophical contemplation, exploring, showcasing, and questioning the reality and reliability of the world we inhabit through art. This introspection is vividly expressed in his artworks, where his almost obsessive depictions of mountains and rocks suggest tangible forms infused with invisible, boundless growth and eruptive energy.

The uniqueness of mountains lies in their existence, akin to the ancient mythical masterpiece “Shan Hai Jing,” which, though regarded as ancient mythology, fundamentally served as an exploration record of ancient geography. Mythology, transcending mere existence, is a creation of human curiosity and imagination. Artists are the creators of mythology, and Wu Deng-yi, in his creative process, continuously questions himself and reminds the world that, by removing specific narratives, backgrounds, and temporal and spatial contexts, what insights can be gleaned from the immutable yet ever-changing mountains and rocks? How can the ancient and enduring yet constantly evolving mountains and rocks inspire us?

In his recent years of artistic creation, Wu Deng-yi is presenting a scroll of “Contemporary Shan Hai Jing.” As the scroll unfolds, human traces slowly recede, returning to the pure enigma of mountains and rocks. Within this realm, one can read about which time, which location, or which universe?