A Brush with Eternity: Discover the Majesty of Contemporary Ink Painting

Weathered by tumultuous ocean waves, the rocks depicted by Taiwanese artist Liang Zhenming stand as rugged forms sculpted by the mysterious force of nature. Their intricate textures, captured masterfully by Liang, appear to conceal cryptic inscriptions with hidden meanings just waiting to be deciphered by the viewer.

Inspired by ancient Chinese literati artists, Liang has practiced ink painting for over 30 years, channelling the art form’s spirit of creativity and philosophy into modern-day creations. An ardent lover of verse, Liang also emulates his most beloved poet, Li Bai, by roaming freely through mountains and rivers, at times pausing on his travels to teach the art of painting to the next generation.

To unravel the enigmatic poignancy of Liang’s artworks, let us delve deeper into his exquisite world of ink painting.

Eternal truths

Liang’s recent paintings depict arresting coastal landscapes and rock-strewn terrains. Through his expressive brushwork, the artist brings the canvas to life with his distinctive and refined style of landscape painting.

At first glance, Liang’s portrayal of mountains and reefs appears more realistic than those of traditional ink paintings. His creations are imbued with distinctive three-dimensional textures, a hallmark of Western realism. However, upon closer inspection, his paintings also convey the Chinese concept of “true portrayal” (xiezhen), which guides the artist to transcend a surface depiction of the subject to capture its timeless essence amid the passage of time.