Wucius Wong: Water Thoughts and Mountain Visions

EVENT DESCRIPTION

Alisan Fine Arts is excited to present a solo exhibition by Wucius Wong, a celebrated figure in contemporary Chinese ink painting. Renowned for his analytical prowess, Wong adeptly transforms serene natural landscapes into striking geometric compositions. His artistic process involves a detailed deconstruction of conventional landscape motifs, unveiling the intricate geometric frameworks that lie hidden beneath their surface. This unique approach is deeply influenced by his emotive use of dots and lines, a technique that he learnt from his mentor, Lui Shou-Kwan. Enhanced by his early encounters with Western art and his achievements in the design realm, Wong’s profound command of artistic techniques has enabled him to push the boundaries of traditional ink art. Through his work, he not only challenges artistic norms but also offers a glimpse into his inner psychological landscape and personal journey. This exhibition will showcase sixteen paintings and examines Wong’s four different series of his work from 1985 – 2023 as highlighted below.

Land and Sky
Wong’s landscapes are not mere representations of nature; they are compositions where the natural world is reimagined through a lens of geometric abstraction. As in his work Autumn Mountain, mountains and rivers in his paintings are transformed into a series of shapes and lines, aligning with a rigorous, almost mathematical, aesthetic. Wong’s topological sublimation of the nature extracts and exhibits the inner eergy, or qi, that are not immediately seen when layered by greeneries of mountains or terrains. This approach is a departure from traditional Chinese landscape painting, where nature is often depicted as a harmonious, organic representation.

Water
His fascination with water as a motif runs deep in his work. Water, in its various forms – from tranquil pools to raging rivers – serves as a metaphor for his artistic evolution. In his work Running Water Forever 36, this natural element, often juxtaposed with stark, geometric forms, highlights a tension between the fluid and the structured, the organic and the constructed. Wong’s water paintings, therefore, become a canvas for exploring these dualities, balancing them in a way that is both visually striking and emotionally resonant.

City Scenes
Wong started working on this series in 1996 when he moved back to Hong Kong after spending 12 years overseas. Contrasting the vast nature scene in the West, his new found fascination of his home city, where densely populated buildings and bustling roads weave together, introduces a dynamic layer to his oeuvre. With his signature grids now representing the windows in his apartment, as in Window Dream 4, the artist depicts city scenes not in a representational way but again interpret the essence of urban life in an abstract way, reflecting the energy and complexity of urban environments. Where the rigid structures of buildings and the fluidity of vehicular movement coalesce, Wong’s city scenes are characterised by a harmonious blend of traditional ink painting techniques with modern design sensibilities.

Calligraphy
Originally inspired to be a poet, calligraphy holds a significant place in Wong’s artistic practice, as it serves as an embodiment of his literati flair. Wong’s calligraphic pieces often feature excerpts from Chinese famous poems or classics. By juxtaposing calligraphy and landscape, the artist adds a layer of poetic narrative that enhances the viewer’s engagement with the artwork. Through calligraphy, Wong communicates not just text but also texture, rhythm, and a profound sense of space, further enriching the multidimensional experience of his art.