Ink, brush and passion
Bussiness World, July 2013
 
A Passionate World
By Jasmine T. Cruz
 
Art that marries painting, calligraphy, seal carving, and poetry is what artist Liping Zheng is known for.
Born in Jieyang City in China’s Guandong Province, Mr. Zheng has long been devoted to the art of traditional Chinese painting, which he showcases in his exhibit A Passionate World at Ayala Museum’s ArtSpace.
 
A STRONG LINE
Unlike Western art, traditional Chinese art values calligraphy above figuration, said Mr. Zheng in an interview with Business World on July 11.  “It shows that you are a literate person,“he explained.
            In calligraphy, he said that a line can be humble, violent, strong, or weak.  For the followers of this traditional art, they do not like lines that have a negative character.  “The line can be passionate and vital but its not rude”, he said.
            The best way to know the nuances of a line is by learning from the masters, said Mr.Zheng.  An avid collector of Chinese traditional painting, Mr. Zheng said that he admires the painters Zhu Da, Shi Tao, Qi Baishi, Huang Binhong and Pan Tianshou.
            Mr. Zheng’s efforts to master this art eventually paid off as he was honored with two exhibits in the National Art Museum of China, and he has also been collected by the said museum and the China National Academy of Painting.  Harvard University also owns his piece  On the Charles, which has been in the university’s China Initiative and Asian Scholar Office since 1998.
            Several Chinese art critics, scholars and painters have also praised Mr. Zheng, including art critic Xue Yongnian (a board member of the Central Research Institute of culture and history in China, and a former director of the fine art critic department, China Central Academy of Fine Arts) in a 2007 issue of Art Observation.
            “As a matter of fact, his painting is not only rich with rugged charm, but vivid and passionate, which brings one into a kingdom full of breezy spring, gorgeous autumn, sunny day  and bright moonlight,” the art critic said.  “Experiencing the passionate and clean world of his art and tasting its poetic morality, his painting brings viewers above all material desires and purifies one’s spirit.”
           
TENSION WITH TRADITION
Mr. Zheng’s deep connection to this art is rooted in his childhood.  When he was young, his hometown was a hub of famous Chinese painters.  During that time though, China was still feeling the effects of May Fourth Movement or the New Culture Movement.  Disgusted at China’s defeat in World War II and Japan’s possession of Shandong province, the movement called for the abolition of traditional Chinese culture and the creation of a culture based on global and Western standards.
            “The artists were looked down upon because the government wanted to destroy everything traditional,” he said.  “That’s why every Sunday, the artists would meet up and complain about the government.” Having an enthusiastic young boy in their circle probably made the artists feel more appreciated.  “I joined these meetings and I showed them my paintings,” Mr. Zheng said.  “They encouraged me because they liked me.”
            Though strict about keeping the traditional methodology of Chinese paintings, Mr. Zheng does not shy away from Western art as he holds Vincent van Gogh, Claude Monet, Edouard Manet, and Pablo Picasso in high esteem.  He also stressed that the materials he uses and the way he handles the brush are all based on Chinese tradition, but he has paintings where he figures approximate impressionism.
            “I add my passion (to the traditional art),” he explained.  “My sense of beauty is contemporary.”
 
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Ayala Museum’s ArtisSpace Gallery is open Monday to Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. It is located at the back of the Ayala Museum, facing the entrance of Greenbelt 5.