Song Yuelin fuses Chinese ink with watercolors in solo show
"I Miss My Mum and Dad," ink painting, 2015
"When watercolor encounters Chinese ink," a solo exhibition by Song Yuelin, is showing at Liu Haisu Art Museum through October 6.
Curated by Shang Hui, one of China's renowned art critics, the exhibition features the artist's latest watercolor and ink paintings.
Born in 1959 in northeastern China's Jilin Province, Song is a pioneer in the area of watercolor, mixing gouache, watercolors, and acrylic into his paintings.
His early work, "Old Well and Woman" which won him the silver award at the 4th National Watercolor Exhibition, is on display at the exhibition.
Song's artworks are divided into three phases. "Old Well and Woman" belongs to his figurative realism, and the second stage in his art path is figurative representation, combining watercolor with gouache, acrylic and water-soluble pigments. The artist fuses Chinese ink into his paintings in the third stage.
From the traditional transparent painting method to the current watercolor synthesis method, changes in materials triggered changes in his technique.
The alteration is also reflected in his subjects on the paper.
Song first painted landscapes, family members, and friends.
Later he reduced the narrative element in his work, moving into a "stream of consciousness."
"From realism to figurative expression is actually a 'sublimation' in my creation," Song said.
Through his eyes, whether it be a market in a small town, crowds by a river, a gathering of friends, or a momentary street scene, his portrayals are no longer physical existence.
Most of the works are urban subjects based on his own experience, applying his "stream of consciousness" painting method, which leaves more space for the viewers to bring their own interpretations.
"Shuttle Bus," ink painting, 2019
Exhibit info:
Date: Through October 6 (closed on Mondays), 9am-5pm
Venue: Liu Haisu Art Museum
Address:1609 Yan'an Rd W.
延安西路1609号
