Step into Professor Cheng-I Wu’s Inky Wonderland

Have you ever imagined green summer banana leaves blanketed in white snow? While such a sight may elude reality, it evokes a poetic romance where the boundaries of time and space dissolve. This is the beauty Cheng-I Wu aspires to evoke through his ink artistry. Each painting becomes a poetic ode to both the everyday and the sublime.

Today, Professor Wu teaches ink painting at the esteemed Taipei National University of the Arts, one of Taiwan’s most revered institutions. His scholarly contributions include several influential volumes on art theory, such as Contemporary Taiwanese Art: Literati Ink Painting. His work, celebrated for its depth and elegance, has graced numerous solo exhibitions and is held in the collections of prestigious art museums.

Classical meets contemporary

In Wu’s ink paintings, we behold a sophisticated reinterpretation of classical Chinese ink art with contemporary sensibilities. His landscapes—mountains and water—are depicted with an unusual three-dimensionality not typically seen in traditional ink painting. Yet, his work faithfully retains the distinctive fluidity and expressiveness characteristic of classical ink brushstrokes.

From ancient times, the highest aspiration in traditional landscape painting has been to unveil the invisible grace that the artist perceives through a deep communion with the natural world. “So,” says Wu, “such an essence cannot be replicated. It is not merely a matter of the refinement of brushwork, but rather a reflection of the artist’s own thoughts. The societal contexts of modern artists have undergone dramatic transformations compared to those of the ancient literati, who were intimately connected with nature to observe its ever-changing nuances. The estrangement of modern life from the natural world makes it challenging to fully grasp and convey such ephemeral beauty.”

How does Wu, as a contemporary artist, navigate this challenge and evoke a transcendent vision of landscape in his work? “From the Five Dynasties (907-979) through the Northern Song Dynasty (960–1127), Chinese landscape painting began to embrace a panoramic reconstruction of nature. A prime example is Guo Xi’s Early Spring, one of the most distinguished masterpieces in Taipei’s National Palace Museum. This painting might be the most richly layered landscape I have ever seen, capturing the ever-shifting moisture of the air—perhaps layered in over ten strata, meticulously built up within a single canvas.”

This reimagining of nature returns to the very essence of classical Chinese brushwork—portraying landscapes with a flowing vigor and infusing them with an elusive, otherworldly quality.

In Wu’s artwork, the majestic peaks and boundless seas seem to be his primary wellspring of inspiration, yet they rarely manifest in their exact realism. His mountains, whether seen from afar or up close, appear to float upon the sea or hover in the sky; the distant is not necessarily illusory, and the near is not necessarily concrete. The clouds may drift and swirl like water, while the ocean’s waves might unfold and billow like clouds. Each layer of reimagined scenery encapsulates a frozen moment as perceived by Wu, reflecting the majestic grandeur of nature while also portraying the ebb and flow of his internal landscape.

Aesthetic resonates with poetry

To Wu, classical ink painting is a sophisticated amalgamation of poetry, calligraphy, painting, and seal carving. It embodies the poetic essence of Eastern aesthetics, transcending the constraints of time and space. Each painting unfolds as a narrative, flowing with an intrinsic sense of poetry.

This may explain why Wu Chi-Tao integrates traditional inscriptions into his ink paintings, though he adapts the ancient verses to contemporary lyrics, such as Jonathan Lee’s evocative lines from “Hill”—“Still waiting to see the immortal, only to lose myself first.” By incorporating modern poetry and sometimes Western literary verses into his work, he experiments with blending timeless sentiments with fresh perspectives, portraying his creative emotions through a reflective lens that captures the essence of our era.

“In today’s swiftly changing world, many of the old, beautiful sentiments seem to be vanishing. For instance, when people travel, do they truly feel the essence of each place, or are they merely preoccupied with capturing photographs and posting on social media? Without genuine experiences, how can one create poetry that venerates the mountains and rivers as the ancients did?” Though finding a true refuge and pure tranquility has become increasingly challenging in the modern world, Wu creates his own Peach Blossom Springs within his paintings.

“A significant aesthetic thread woven through most classical ink paintings is the concept of the Peach Blossom Spring. This idea, infused with poetic charm, originates from a story by Tao Yuanming (365–427), the esteemed pastoral poet from one of history’s most tumultuous eras. Perhaps this ancient idea of harmony between heaven and humanity has further deepened our longing for retreat and transcendence amidst chaos.”

Wu is presently engrossed in a series inspired by The Classic of Mountains and Seas, an ancient compendium of mythic landscapes and creatures dating back to the 4th century B.C.E. In this series, fantastical vistas, mythical flora, and legendary beasts conjure the enigma of a distant past or perhaps herald the mysteries of the future. These mythical manuscripts provide Wu with insights into the complex and unresolved challenges of our contemporary reality.

“I am in the midst of a transformation,” he reflects. “The theme of landscapes in my work is evolving.” In one piece from his Classic of Mountains and Seas series, he has rendered an image akin to an ancient map, depicting beasts fleeing and land being swallowed by a great deluge, suggesting a cataclysmic event and a subsequent rebirth of humanity.

“The East holds the myth of Pangu creating heaven and earth, while the West tells of ancient Greek myths. Ultimately, these stories converge on a question of divinity. In ancient China, there was a path that linked heaven, earth, and humanity—a conduit connecting mankind with the divine. Each person, within this context, engages in a form of divine reflection, contemplating forces beyond human existence. After the dissolution of human civilization, will the divine permit humanity to arise anew? Will it merely repeat the old patterns, or will something entirely novel emerge?”

Throughout Wu’s artistic journey, his evolving life experiences are intricately reflected in his paintings. Sometimes his work unfolds with natural ease, at other times through painful struggles and introspection. Yet, each phase is an integral chapter of his creative evolution. “If you simply replicate past concepts and churn out numerous similar works, art transforms into mere industrial production. For me, each painting is a challenge to be overcome, and true artistry emerges from the resolution of these artistic puzzles.”