I've been thinking , how does Chinese contemporary art treat its own traditions from different angles and aspects? When studying Buddhist statues in the Northern and Southern Dynasties during my PHD, I got some inspiration, if we regard Buddha statues and votive texts as an image/text system of works of art, then images and texts are mutually externalized and interpreted. I applied this "Image & Text" system to my own creation. Also, I decided to combine the western painting training I received in the past and use the contemporary art method to create, explored traditional culture in a contemporary way.
In my creations, my work takes on a recognizable form - "Amulet" and "Wish"(my creations are double sided). "Amulet" is the image, an independent symbol system with specific meaning. When deciding on the picture, I firmly chose a contemporary form. I usually use rice paper, ink and other water-based materials, but the form is not figurative or meticulous. In order to interpret the "Amulet"(符), I constructed a corresponding interpretation system based on Chinese Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism -- the "Wish"(祝), which is hidden behind the picture(usually viewers watching the exhibition won't see it). Most of the writing system(Wish) are often inspired by Buddhist scriptures and ancient books. However, the content of Wish is related to the current events. In other words, my works integrate "poetry, painting and calligraphy" into a whole, looking for a contemporary expression in Chinese traditional elements. "Amulet" and "Wish" complement each other, construct each other, and create each other's meanings.
Self-natural Stretch is an Eastern philosophy of mind, and the topic itself is full of Zen. In "Amulet" (front), I adopted the language of abstraction.In “Wish” (back),I created a poem in the style of ancient poetry, and expressed it in calligraphy .The content of this poem is roughly described, if we want to achieve Nirvana (represents a kind of success), then the first thing we need to do is to be Self-natural Stretch(a state of life). In the poems, I implicitly quoted some Buddhist allusions instead of adopting a straightforward narrative method, this is to create an ideological fusion with the abstract picture and convey this artistic conception.As I said earlier, "Amulet" and "Wish" always echo each other.
祝詞(Wish):
诸法离他性,各自住自性,故说一切法,自性定所摄,如火之在木,木中欲言有火耶,视之不可见,欲言无耶,缘合火出,乃法体自性不灭也。
Wish(Translation):
Dharma is always far from the nature that does not belong to him,all kinds of Dharma emphasize the self-nature. Therefore, the Self-nature must have a philosophy for it to follow.
It is like wood in fire. Although wood cannot be seen to have fire, it has the cause of fire. Therefore,the stretch of self-nature is like the immortality of Dharma.