On the afternoon of April 3, “The Day is at Hand," a Christian exhibition of poetry, painting, and calligraphy works kicked off in Moganshan Road, Shanghai.
Daozi, a Christian poet, painter, and artist, is now a member of the Chinese Society for Aesthetics, a member of the International Society for Aesthetics, and a professor of the Academy of Fine Arts, Tsinghua University. After 2000, he began to create “holy ink paintings” by combining his understanding of Christian faith with traditional Chinese ink art. In 2015, his work “God and Gold” won the 20th German Misereor Foundation Award for Artistic Creation, acclaimed as a rare masterpiece that combines traditional ink freehand brushwork with the spirit of Christ.
In addition to one of the works in the “God and Gold” series, Daozi has also exhibited more than 20 outstanding works created from 2011 to 2021, including “Towards the Promised Land”, “The Day is at Hand”, “Tour with Candle at Hand” and two cursive scrolls.
During the preparation for the exhibition, renowned painter and art critic Chen Danqing sent his art review on Feb. 26, paying attention to and appreciating the many imagistic expressions of Dao’s Chinese ink paintings.
Chen commented, “The sun, the head, the sea, the candle, and the deformed wings… Are those Daozi ’s preferred images or themes?”
Then he talked about the biblical influence behind those images. “Then the Bible looms. The Bible, by no means a mere reference to religion, is a constant resource for artists: Verbal, imaginative, directed, unbounded, and timeless... It is a road when there is no way out, and the Bible is very ‘concrete’. When Daozi suddenly received the ‘promised’ painting out of verses (he must have been overjoyed to see his first picture was about to come true), the bible immediately promised him and made him find another self."
He also said that among the works on show, his preference was the painting “The Day is at Hand”.
Zeng Yulan, the curator of the exhibition, summed up his feelings about Dao’s works with the words “Eternal Thoughts - Another Experience of Ink Paintings”.
Zeng stated: “In Mr. Daozi ’s paintings, as a unique ‘experience’, the ‘ink paintings’ are neither Chinese nor western. From scheme and content to spiritual orientation, they’ve all been thoroughly transformed. They’re no longer the echo of traditional culture and ideas of Confucianism, Taoism or Buddhism, nor the display of formal language under the guise of ink painting media, but the transformation from apocalyptic literature to the ‘vision’ of ink paintings; They are not superficial symbols or hidden sounds, but are full of tensive competition between emotion and rationality. They are the witnesses of the creator’s rich experience. They are all ‘present’. "
He continued, "In these works, there is the criticism of the current problems, the perception of life situation, the echo of history, the re-interpretation of the original classics, the image of poetry, and the hope for the future... Therefore, these works can cross the ocean to be accepted by people with non-oriental (non-Chinese) cultural backgrounds. Meanwhile, they are so excellent that they’re also warmly welcomed by people with oriental (Chinese) cultural backgrounds. I think this is the charm of these works, and that’s why this exhibition is held and what this exhibition wants to tell all viewers. In this kind of dialogue and interaction, what new ‘experience’ of ink paintings will be inspired by Mr. Daozi’s experience of ink paintings? This is what’s exciting about this exhibition.”
He explained the theme of the exhibition, “When the day is about to end, the day is also at hand. Mr. Dao’s works tell us not to circle on the spot or in the present and give us a reflection on the constant things beyond our experience. This spiritual orientation and transcendental dimension are exactly what is missing in China’s current art world. So this other kind of water painting experience that Dao brings is now showing its value and significance as a unique voice.”
On the opening ceremony of that day, Dao also had a dialogue with many audiences, sharing his creativity and feelings in his works. When it came to the original intention of holding this exhibition, Daozi shared that artists had three concerns in creation: the first was the concern for aesthetics, the second lied in the concern for the current era, society, and environment, while the third was an ultimate concern.
Considering that one of the biggest changes of the world in 2020 was the pandemic, which made people face death, anxiety, and turbulent environments, he confessed, “There is no border for the pandemic, so is art. Therefore, some works of the past 10 years are selected this time, and I hope that they can comfort people and convey peace through art.”
The whole exhibition lasts for nearly 2 months and will end on May 29th.
- Translated by Nicolas Cao
2021年4月3日下午，“白昼将近|岛子诗书画作品展”在上海莫干山路开幕。
岛子，诗人、画家、艺术家，现为现为中华美学学会会员，国际美学学会会员，清华大学美术学院教授。2000年后开始进行“圣水墨”的创作，将其对基督信仰的理解与中国传统水墨艺术结合，创作出许多优秀作品。2015年他的作品《上帝与黄金》获得第20届德国米苏尔基金艺术创作奖，收到高度评价，可以说这是一幅将传统水墨大写意手法融合了基督精神而创作出一幅难得的佳作。
此次作品除了展出了《上帝与黄金》系列中的一幅作品，同时还展出了岛子2011年至2021年十年里20多副优秀的作品，包括《走向应许之地》、《白昼将近》、《秉烛游》水墨画和2幅草书手卷。
在展出筹备时，著名画家和文艺评论家陈丹青于2月26日发来了他的艺术评论，对岛子水墨中国的许多意象式的表达给予关注和赞赏。他说到：“太阳、头颅、海、烛，还有种种形变的翅膀...那是岛子偏爱的意象、还是主题？”接着，他谈到这些意象表达的背后有圣经的影响，“这时，圣经隐现了。圣经，绝非仅仅指向宗教，而是艺术家恒久的资源：词语的、想象的、有所指归的、没有界域的、穿越时间……那是一条找不到出路之后的路，而圣经非常‘具象’。当岛子忽然在诗外获得绘画的应许（眼看自己实现第一幅画，他想必狂喜），圣经立即应许了他，令他寻获了另一个自己。”他还谈到展出的作品里面，他偏爱《白昼将近》这幅画。
此次作品展的策展人曾玉兰以“永恒之念——另一种水墨经验”来概括自己对岛子作品的感受。他说：“在岛子先生的创作中，‘水墨’ 作为独一的‘经验’既不是中国的， 也不是西方的，从图式、内容到精神性指向，都进行了彻底的转换，不再是儒道释传统文化与观念的回响，亦非形式语言假借水墨媒材的展现，而是从启示文学向水墨‘异象’的转化；它们并非流于表面象征和隐响，而是饱含情感与智性较量的张力，是创作者丰富的此在体验的见证者，它们就是‘在场’者。 在这些作品当中，有对现实流弊的针砭，有对人生境遇的感悟，有历史的回声，有对原典的再阐释，也有诗歌的意象，未来的盼望...因此这些作品能远渡重洋被非东方(中国) 文化背景的人所接受，而又足以让我们东方(中国) 文化背景的人所乐见——我想这正是这些作品的魅力所在，也是本次展览希望观者与之相遇，与之对话之处。在这种对话和互动中，岛子先生提供的这另种水墨经验又将激发出怎样的对于水墨的新 “经验”?这又是本次的展览所尤其期待的。”
他说到此次作品展的主题“白昼将近”：“白昼将尽之处，也是白昼将近之时。岛子先生的诗书画印，不叫我们圈于地上，圈于当下，而是给予我们经验之外对恒常之事的想往，而 这一精神性指向和超验维度， 也恰恰是中国当下艺术界所缺失的。因此，岛子先生带来的这另一种水整经验，正作为一种独特的声音而闪现出其价值和意义。”
当天开幕式上，岛子也在现场与多位观众对话交流，分享他作品中的创意与情怀。谈及举办这次作品展的初衷，岛子分享说，艺术家在创作时有三重关怀：一是美学，二是对当下时代、社会和环境的关切，三是终极关怀；2020年世界最大的变化之一就是疫情，让人类面对死别、焦虑和动荡的环境等，“疫情无国界，艺术也是无国界的，所以这次选出过去10年的一些作品，希望能够藉着艺术抚慰人心，传递平安。”
整个展览将会持续近2个月的时间，到5月29日结束。
特写 “白昼将近”基督徒艺术家岛子诗书画作品展上海开幕 盼藉艺术在疫情后“抚慰人心”
On the afternoon of April 3, “The Day is at Hand," a Christian exhibition of poetry, painting, and calligraphy works kicked off in Moganshan Road, Shanghai.
Daozi, a Christian poet, painter, and artist, is now a member of the Chinese Society for Aesthetics, a member of the International Society for Aesthetics, and a professor of the Academy of Fine Arts, Tsinghua University. After 2000, he began to create “holy ink paintings” by combining his understanding of Christian faith with traditional Chinese ink art. In 2015, his work “God and Gold” won the 20th German Misereor Foundation Award for Artistic Creation, acclaimed as a rare masterpiece that combines traditional ink freehand brushwork with the spirit of Christ.
In addition to one of the works in the “God and Gold” series, Daozi has also exhibited more than 20 outstanding works created from 2011 to 2021, including “Towards the Promised Land”, “The Day is at Hand”, “Tour with Candle at Hand” and two cursive scrolls.
During the preparation for the exhibition, renowned painter and art critic Chen Danqing sent his art review on Feb. 26, paying attention to and appreciating the many imagistic expressions of Dao’s Chinese ink paintings.
Chen commented, “The sun, the head, the sea, the candle, and the deformed wings… Are those Daozi ’s preferred images or themes?”
Then he talked about the biblical influence behind those images. “Then the Bible looms. The Bible, by no means a mere reference to religion, is a constant resource for artists: Verbal, imaginative, directed, unbounded, and timeless... It is a road when there is no way out, and the Bible is very ‘concrete’. When Daozi suddenly received the ‘promised’ painting out of verses (he must have been overjoyed to see his first picture was about to come true), the bible immediately promised him and made him find another self."
He also said that among the works on show, his preference was the painting “The Day is at Hand”.
Zeng Yulan, the curator of the exhibition, summed up his feelings about Dao’s works with the words “Eternal Thoughts - Another Experience of Ink Paintings”.
Zeng stated: “In Mr. Daozi ’s paintings, as a unique ‘experience’, the ‘ink paintings’ are neither Chinese nor western. From scheme and content to spiritual orientation, they’ve all been thoroughly transformed. They’re no longer the echo of traditional culture and ideas of Confucianism, Taoism or Buddhism, nor the display of formal language under the guise of ink painting media, but the transformation from apocalyptic literature to the ‘vision’ of ink paintings; They are not superficial symbols or hidden sounds, but are full of tensive competition between emotion and rationality. They are the witnesses of the creator’s rich experience. They are all ‘present’. "
He continued, "In these works, there is the criticism of the current problems, the perception of life situation, the echo of history, the re-interpretation of the original classics, the image of poetry, and the hope for the future... Therefore, these works can cross the ocean to be accepted by people with non-oriental (non-Chinese) cultural backgrounds. Meanwhile, they are so excellent that they’re also warmly welcomed by people with oriental (Chinese) cultural backgrounds. I think this is the charm of these works, and that’s why this exhibition is held and what this exhibition wants to tell all viewers. In this kind of dialogue and interaction, what new ‘experience’ of ink paintings will be inspired by Mr. Daozi’s experience of ink paintings? This is what’s exciting about this exhibition.”
He explained the theme of the exhibition, “When the day is about to end, the day is also at hand. Mr. Dao’s works tell us not to circle on the spot or in the present and give us a reflection on the constant things beyond our experience. This spiritual orientation and transcendental dimension are exactly what is missing in China’s current art world. So this other kind of water painting experience that Dao brings is now showing its value and significance as a unique voice.”
On the opening ceremony of that day, Dao also had a dialogue with many audiences, sharing his creativity and feelings in his works. When it came to the original intention of holding this exhibition, Daozi shared that artists had three concerns in creation: the first was the concern for aesthetics, the second lied in the concern for the current era, society, and environment, while the third was an ultimate concern.
Considering that one of the biggest changes of the world in 2020 was the pandemic, which made people face death, anxiety, and turbulent environments, he confessed, “There is no border for the pandemic, so is art. Therefore, some works of the past 10 years are selected this time, and I hope that they can comfort people and convey peace through art.”
The whole exhibition lasts for nearly 2 months and will end on May 29th.
- Translated by Nicolas Cao
Christian Exhibition 'The Day is at Hand' Opened in Shanghai, Expecting to Bring Hope in Post-Pandemic Era
