Interwoven

Materials: Book, Rice Paper, Ink, IV Tube

Year: 2022

This work involves slowly injecting ink through an IV tube into a copy of The History of Chinese Art, allowing the ink to gradually permeate and cover the text and images within the book. This process symbolizes how ink painting, as the core medium of Chinese traditional art, continuously nourishes and propels the development of art throughout history. Ink painting has long been a vital force in nurturing Chinese art, influencing and driving the evolution of artistic language in every historical period.

However, as the ink gradually covers the book, the work also reveals ink painting’s ability to innovate and transcend traditional methods. The ink slowly replaces the book’s text and illustrations, symbolizing the reinvention of ink art in the contemporary context. This act of substitution represents how traditional art forms are constantly renewed and transformed under the influence of new ideas.

Through this dynamic process, the work further expresses ink art as an evolving force, one that constantly updates itself within the process of cultural transmission. It highlights how ink painting, while deeply rooted in tradition, can push the boundaries of artistic progress and innovation.