「The Essence of Shan Shui」 Wu Deng-yi‘s Contemporary Color Ink Exhibition

Chinese landscape painting is the quintessence of traditional Chinese culture, rich in atmosphere and profound philosophical connotations. Wu Deng-yi’s, a prominent contemporary color ink painter from Taiwan, has devoted nearly six decades to crafting Chinese ink paintings. By blending his encyclopedic knowledge of traditional Chinese and modern Western art, he ingeniously merges the old and new, seamlessly blending Eastern and Western influences. Through extensive exploration of contemporary color ink techniques, Wu Deng-yi’s establishes a groundbreaking “Imaginary Color Ink Landscape” style, infusing traditional Chinese art with a fresh and innovative vibrancy.

Our present, while adorned with a different appearance, seems to rhyme with our past. In 1872, the Canadian missionary, Dr. George Leslie Mackay, landed in Tamsui to preach Christianity. In 1875, he began designing one of the two adjacent bungalows known as the “Missionary House.” This building has left an indelible mark on Tamsui over the past one hundred and fifty years. Despite experiencing colonization under different authorities, Tamsui undoubtedly stands out as the best place to outline the historical contour of Taiwan and showcase the diversity of Taiwanese culture. Today, the Taiwan Wu Dengyi Art Museum stands on the site of Dr. Mackay’s former “Missionary House.” We have embarked on renovating it to serve as our art gallery. Wu Deng-yi’s artistic publications and achievements are set to write a brand new chapter for this historical building.

Shanshui, in the minds of artists, embodies the essence of art. In this exhibition, we will showcase a series of Wu Deng-yi’s Contemporary Color Ink Shanshui paintings created between 2021 and 2022. Despite the COVID-19 outbreak and the subsequent lockdowns and restricted entry policies that have kept people apart, the inspiration drawn from Shanshui remains unblocked and continues to fuel their artistic creations. Wu Deng-yi considers himself fortunate to have crossed paths with the renowned Chinese painting master, Zhang Daqian, whose influence has been significant. Drawing inspiration from two Song Dynasty Chinese painters, Li Tang and Ma Yuan, Wu embarked on extensive travels to collect real-world scenes that inspired his personal landscapes. His passion for Chinese landscape paintings allows him to effortlessly blend oriental philosophy with Western art concepts. The exhibition reflects Wu Deng-yi’s skillful use of brush, ink, and water, which results in a harmonious interplay of texture, brushstrokes, and colors. This achievement is the product of countless nights spent exploring his inner principles and dedicating hard work to his craft.

“The Essence of Shan Shui” is Wu’s solo exhibition and marks the grand opening of the Taiwan Wu Dengyi Art Museum. This captivating exhibition will feature more than six of Wu’s remarkable artworks. Within these pieces, the five colors—red, orange, blue, green, and purple—emerge as pure and mysterious, imbuing the paintings with an enigmatic allure. The seamless fusion of colors and ink creates visuals that evoke the ethereal formations of clouds or the graceful flow of Qi amidst mountains and water. Upon closer examination, one can discern that everything in this world resembles tiny dust particles, possessing the potential to transcend into parallel universes. The captivating interplay of ink and color artfully transports viewers on a journey between the tangible physical realm and the depths of the subconscious, eliciting a profound and introspective experience.