Modern Chinese abstract painting has a deep, rich history; it is all about taking inspiration from the past while experimenting with new art mediums and techniques. Growing in popularity during the 1920’s, many artists during this time implemented Western techniques to their paintings and Liu Guosong is no exception. Liu Guosong is a Chinese painter that was most active in Taiwan during the 1960’s and 1970’s and was the founder of the Fifth Moon Group.

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In response to his “Peaks of Contemplation,” made in 1967 with ink wash, I have made a piece on the drawing app Procreate. By using a digital medium, rather than the traditional ink and brush, I aim to make this genre of Chinese art more accessible to the public as digital art is more easily and widely shareable. I am also exploring the relationship between two very different artistic mediums: digital tools and physical ink and brush.

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A key theme in Liu Guosong’s work is fluidity and movement, which is what I am recreating in the digital realm. Fluidity and movement are a key feature in Chinese abstract painting, and Chinese ink art in general, as ink is a versatile medium to paint with. Liu Guosong combined traditional Chinese methods of painting and calligraphy with newly experimented-with western painting methods. This is echoed in my work through the combining of traditional and new methods of painting in my digital project.

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Featuring a minimal color palette restricted to just blacks and whites, I aim to combine minimal shapes to create a maximalist composition. My stylus is no match for authentic brush and ink, but in using brushes on Procreate that replicate a real brush, I can still express fluidity and movement in a new modern context.