Scene: Tradition and Innovation - The Opening of Lai Zhigang's Ink Art Exhibition at the National Academy of Painting

From Huizhou to the capital, from the academy to the university, from Suzhou and Hangzhou to Yunnan, Guizhou, and Sichuan, artists observed the elegant environments where scholars lived, feeling the clouds over mountains and rivers.

Walking from southern Anhui Province to the Himalayas, they sensed the natural way of heaven and understood the true meaning of art.

A Tenacious Painter,

A Brave Dreamer,

A Devoted Art Practitioner.

Admiring saints like Fan Huayuan and Li Xigu since childhood, influenced by masters such as Gong Banqian, Huang Binhong, and Li Keran, Lai Zhigang has devoted himself to the technique of "accumulated ink" (積墨), overcoming obstacles to find new paths. "Freedom, ink wash, and Daoism" have been his long-held dreams.

After decades of research and effort, he has created a magnificent and unique world with his brush. His work, "Art and Dao," is known as a representative piece of contemporary Chinese landscape ink painting, with theorists praising his portrayal of clouds and mist as "timeless masterpieces." Lai Zhigang is the artist in question.

On April 17, 2022, the exhibition "Tradition and Innovation - Lai Zhigang Ink Art Exhibition" opened at the National Academy of Painting. Co-hosted by the Guangdong Museum of Art, Li Keran Academy, and "Chinese Art News," and organized by Shenzhen Lai Zhigang Accumulated Ink Landscape Culture and Art Development Co., Ltd., this exhibition featured over 100 of Lai Zhigang's renowned works, summarizing his artistic achievements over 40 years. More than 100 guests, media, collectors, art enthusiasts, and staff gathered in a warm atmosphere.

The opening ceremony was hosted by Wang Ping, President and Editor-in-Chief of "Chinese Art News." The inauguration was declared by Li Baolin, a renowned painter and member of the National Academy of Painting, and Sun Ke, a famous art theorist and former vice president of the Chinese Painting Association. The subsequent art seminar was chaired by Wang Yong, a renowned theorist.

The opening ceremony saw the presence of Lu Yushun, President of the National Academy of Painting; Xu Lian, Vice President; Yu Wenjiang, Vice President; Zeng Laide, former Vice President; Ji Lianbin, former Vice President; Wu Hongliang, President of the Beijing Academy of Painting; Shang Hui, Director of the Theoretical Committee of the Chinese Artists Association and President and Editor-in-Chief of "Art" magazine; Li Baolin, a renowned painter and member of the National Academy of Painting; Li Geng, Professor at Kyoto University of Art; Wang Yong, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Art and renowned art theorist; Wang Zhong, former Editor-in-Chief of "Art" magazine and renowned art theorist; Sun Ke, former vice president of the Chinese Painting Association and renowned art theorist; Wang Luxiang, a cultural scholar and researcher at the National Academy of Painting; Chen Zhixie, a professor at Renmin University of China and renowned art theorist; Tang Li, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Art and renowned painter; Fang Tu, Director of the Art Museum of the National Academy of Painting; He Jialin, former Director of the Art Museum; Wang Yongliang, a painter at the National Academy of Painting; Wang Fumin, Honorary Director of the Figures Painting Department; Li Xiaozhu, Director of the Figures Painting Department; Shang Ke, Director of the Exchange and Cooperation Department of the National Academy of Painting and Professor at Nanjing Arts Institute; Dong Lei, Director of the Creation Research and Planning Department; Zhang Gan, Professor at Tsinghua University's Art Institute and Doctoral Supervisor; Yu Yang, Professor at the Central Academy of Fine Arts and Deputy Director of the National Themed Art Creation Research Center; Chen Ming, Deputy Director of the Theoretical Research Institute of the National Academy of Painting; Xu Shuipei, Deputy Director of the Creation Research and Planning Department of the National Academy of Painting; Zhang Yuan, Vice President of the Chinese Art Newspaper Company; Wang Shili, a renowned painter; and Li Ming, a calligrapher.

The theme "Tradition and Innovation," written by Zou Peizhu, is both an encouragement for Lai Zhigang and a sincere expectation of him. It reflects the artist's enduring commitment to his art.

Over the past 40 years, Lai Zhigang has deeply studied traditional accumulated ink painting techniques, inheriting the strengths of masters such as Gong Xian, Huang Binhong, and Li Keran. After mastering the rules of accumulated ink, he has developed it while inheriting and innovating through observation and constant reflection, gradually forming his own style. His works display majestic and solemn landscapes, free-spirited clouds and mist, showing a confident and powerful spirit of the era and rich spiritual meaning, making him a representative figure of modern accumulated ink landscape painting.

In this exhibition, Lai Zhigang presented over 100 masterpieces of various sizes and styles with beautiful artistic concepts, showcasing his artistic talent. His works such as "Art and Dao," "The Great Tide," and "Clouds and Mist over Huangshan" displayed tremendous momentum. In expressions of mountains, stones, and water, he inherited the strength of Southern Song's Li Tang and displayed grandeur. Meanwhile, hand-painted works like "The Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains," "The Great River Eastward," and "River Snow" used delicate accumulated ink to express natural landscapes like the sky, earth, and mist, presenting vibrant scenery. When viewed closely, the mist-covered landscapes evoke thoughts of immortal beings, captivating viewers.

Notably, the small yet profound sketches stand out. Lai Zhigang harmonized his senses and brushwork, expressing the natural frankness that arises from the "Dao."

Lai Zhigang said, "The core of my creation is 'change' and 'vitality.' 'Truth' is my attitude toward art creation, and for an artist, the most important thing is to maintain a true heart and pure mind."

Lai Zhigang's technique of depicting clouds and mist with accumulated ink, combining momentum and thickness, aligns with the Daoist pursuit of harmony with nature and humanity in Chinese cultural art. "Dao connects the tangible and intangible of heaven and earth, and thought permeates the changes of wind and clouds." Lai Zhigang conveys the charm of Dao through his ink wash works, recreating the pure natural ink world with a sincere heart, making it worth seeing.

In the afternoon of the same day, an academic seminar for the "Tradition and Innovation - Lai Zhigang Ink Art Exhibition" was also held. Experts attending the seminar included Wang Yong, renowned art theorist and seminar host; Sun Ke, renowned art theorist and former vice president of the Chinese Painting Association; Wang Zhong, former editor-in-chief of "Art" magazine and renowned art theorist; Chen Zhixie, professor at Renmin University of China and renowned art theorist; Shang Hui, Director of the Theoretical Committee of the Chinese Artists Association and President and Editor-in-Chief of "Art" magazine; Wang Luxiang, a cultural scholar and researcher at the National Academy of Painting; Wu Hongliang, President of the Beijing Academy of Painting; Wang Ping, President and Editor-in-Chief of "Chinese Art News"; Zhang Gan, Professor at Tsinghua University's Art Institute and Doctoral Supervisor; Yu Yang, Professor at the Central Academy of Fine Arts and Deputy Director of the National Themed Art Creation Research Center; Chen Ming, Deputy Director of the Theoretical Research Institute of the National Academy of Painting; Xu Shuipei, Deputy Director of the Creation Research and Planning Department of the National Academy of Painting; Zhang Yuan, Vice President of the Chinese Art Newspaper Company; Wang Shili, a renowned painter; and Li Ming, a calligrapher. Liu Xilin, a renowned art theorist, also sent a congratulatory letter for the seminar.