A Tradition Redefined: Modern and Contemporary Chinese Ink Paintings from the Chu-tsing Li Collection, 1950–2000

First Look
Wet black ink layers over dry brushstrokes and splattered dots of black and brown to form a large mountain mass at the center. A rickety staircase climbs from the shore to the top of the mountain, leading to a cluster of houses and whimsical trees. A bright yellow sun hovers above.

Tradition
The use of splashed ink in painting has a long tradition in China; many artists, both ancient and modern, have created a personal style through its unpredictability and spontaneity.

Redefined
Unpredictability and spontaneity are also hallmarks of much art work considered to be “contemporary” from a Western perspective. As the artist noted, “there are so many things that can go wrong….Even the weather affects your work: if it is too wet, your ink can run all over the paper, and if it is too dry, it will not flow freely enough.”