文訊

The Art of Wu,Shi Wei- Ink Painting Artist of Taiwan

• 由 Catherine Yen 在 2010 六月 12 的 12:00am 張貼
• 發送訊息 檢視 Catherine Yen 的部落格

Clear Spring Profound beauty (Private Collection)

Heart of Emptiness(Private Collection)

Inlay the music and lyric onto the painting -The art of Wu, Shi Wei

Knowing Wu Shi Wei in year 2001 autumn, I was introduced by my best friend-Xiao to read Wu's painting albums, I was appealed by those paintings in aesthetic and scholastic mood and quality, and therefore I asked my friend to dial the phone call for me , I would like to have a chat with the artist first, but he was not in , so I tried to call him while I came back from Taipei to Kaohsiung. I was impressed by the paintiang atmosphere, I suddenly undertand ,his paintings should be attributed to the stylistic WeiJing dynasty, and this is my strong thinkings, it's full of brilliance and sorrow , the unique technique and fabulous hues denotes the charm to the viewers.

I was actually hope to collect one of the paintins in the album, it named "Night Cloud"; while I asked and requested, Wu advised that "Night Cloud" had been collected by the Art Center of Tung Hai University, although I have a little bit disappointed, I still felt grateful and happy due to both of the art center and me were have the same appreciation of that wonderful painting. I therefore decided to visit his studio next time while I was in Taipei.

Upon entering Wu's studio, I saw the withered lotus with cupule in the vessel, various dried flowers, branches and stones, his painting drafts were spreaded on the table, kinds of study treasures kept gracefully in the cabinets, the studio got a little bit in chaos but still beautifully displayed as an artist's home. He plants various kinds of bamboos, all these wonderful things are becoming the essance and elements to enrich his paintings. He also collects embroidery, silver products, gilted things and vases, the patterns on these collected things brought him inspiration, they become the shining ink spots on his paintings.

I saw the paintings carefully, he paints mostly the flowers and branche stretching out to the top of the Xuan paper,but inplanted and arranged in a small bottle or vase, I exclaimed and asked:" Shi Wei, you stretched out your hands toward the heaven and what you are searching for?" I suddenly understand him, understand his emotion, understand his delication, understand his romantics, beauty, sentiment and sorrow, and yet,I found the deep emotion can become ashes and snow.

Wu's painting displayed in various styles including scroll條幅, leaf冊頁, fan扇面, mirror鏡屏 and rolled up shapes手卷、橫批, all these painting styles are associated with the old paintings as the ancient masters did, the scholastic painter as Wu didn't intend to shout out his greatness but simply show his innate sense and emotion.

Thru the five years hard working and humbleness to pursue his forthcoming life object, he participated many group or solo exhibitions, he pattened either the old masters or the recent ones, he uses different techniques and materials to develop and adorn his paintings, the trial makes his painting reveal the innate spirits, and the overlaid inks and colors enrich the texture and surface of the painting. His technique including "Zuang Suei"撞水, "Zuang Fen"撞粉,"Gi(accumulate) Mo "積墨, "Po(spread) Mo "潑墨,"Pou(break) Mo"破墨, he also applies the technique of kirigane (gold foil)金箔, silver銀箔 or black foils黑箔, gouache膠彩 and alum water礬水, these methods make his paintings become sufficient and brilliant. He not only display a strong expression of burshworks, but embodies the intricate variation of colors. He uses single or multiple vases to form the differnt shapes, he freely painted by differnt points, spots , lines or symbols to express his feeling, and all the melting color lines, color spots and inks display his kinds of life mood, he uses the simplist matters and topic gracefully and lyrically depict his life attitude and art.

The senior ink painting artist, Professor Hung, Keng Shen ever visited my collection, and after he saw Wu ShiWei's paintiing, he said" Everybody asks where is the future of Chinese ink painting, now I finally found it in Wu Shi Wei's paintings!"

Wu Shi Wei also takes the trial combining the philosophy of western arts' technique as the support and chinese arts ones as the base in order to enrich the elements of his paintings. He patterns the technique of the recent renown artists- George Chann and Huang, BinHong, he overlaid the thick and glamourous colors and ink onto his painting, he was inspired and influenced by the two masters, but he is not actually followed them totally, he gets his own style, spirits and characteristics. He realized his achievement of clear and acute status in arts life, he also forms invisibly a distinguishing characteristics of melancholy aloof and like a soliloquiat but self-examines.I think he would never regret to be an artist, it is worth noticing that the choice of practicing ink monochrome, colors and gouache painting indeed signified a well-through gentle resistance against the overall environment.

Wu ShiWei is going to have his solo exhibition in December, 2007 at "Elegant Gallery" in Taipei, I sincerely wish his success in this exhibition, also hope he found the outlet for his soul smoothly and confortably , and filled his heart with thriving ,beauty and glamour.

This was originally a Chinese preface of Wu Shi Wei's painting album "芳菲傳馨 " written in early 2007, then translated into English and posted in "Problog" accordingly.