In Past Show

Yang Jiechang: This Is Still Landscape Painting at Ink Studio

Yang Jiechang combines traditional Eastern and Western modes of representation in his multimedia work. He calls the essence of this confluence “Eurasian,” saying, “Eurasia is the land I experience everyday in my life: I am from Canton, China, my wife is from Germany, our children are Eurasian. We feel this land; this disposition and lifestyle bear a lot of possibilities and power.” His monochromatic ink paintings combine the aesthetics of contemporary painting with the tools and techniques of traditional East Asian ink-and-wash artworks. In Xuanzai Ink (1992–96), Yang created a contemplative, expressive splatter of black paint over the wrinkled, textured surface of fine xuan paper and gauze, evoking the look of abstracted calligraphy and echoing the work of mid-century painters, such as Adolph Gottlieb, as well as more recent artists like Olivier Mosset. Yang also works in video, photography, and sculpture.