An artist Lee Ki Him. My creative practice centres upon Chinese ink wash painting as its primary medium. I focus on landscape subjects and the splashed-ink technique, endeavoring to explore the spiritual translation of ink-wash landscapes within a contemporary context. The core inquiry lies in questioning whether the age-old landscapes of antiquity and the serendipity of splashed ink can serve as vessels reflecting the inner worlds and cosmos of contemporary individuals.

 

In practice, I primarily employ the core materials of brush, ink, paper, and water, concentrating on the flow and diffusion of splashed ink alongside the textural effects of brush-stroked texture. Within my creations, I pursue gradations of ink-colour and the dynamic interplay of light and shadow within the spatial composition. I draw profound inspiration from the Song dynasty landscape philosophy of "habitable and navigable" spaces, and from the bold, expressive spirit of Zhang Daqian's modern splashed-ink brushwork. The former provides my works with a structural spiritual framework; the latter liberates my pursuit of ink's material expressiveness. In the work 'Echoes in the Empty Mountains', I employed medium-sized paper, using random techniques to drive splashing, pouring, and washing actions. This allowed the ink and wash to form, between control and chance, imagery resembling mountain rocks, mist, and cellular structures. Subsequently, without intervening forcefully, I outlined the textures of mountain rocks and added dotting within the chaos, constructing an ancient and mysterious landscape. This piece represents my contemporary fusion and personal interpretation of the traditional landscape concept of "reclining contemplation" with the spontaneous technique of splashed ink.

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