Classic philosophy helps painter Liu Yanfeng perceive and capture 'untold beauty' of nature
古典哲學幫助畫家劉延風感覺和撲捉到大自然只能"意會的美"
Renowned Chinese philosopher Zhaungzi wrote 2,300 years ago that nature itself has an "untold beauty".
莊子這位著名的哲人在2300年前就寫到大自然本身有一種"無法用言語表達的美"
For Chinese ink and wash painter Liu Yanfeng, the process of artistic creation is a journey to discover the essence of unspoken beauty and represent it in his own style.
對於中國水墨畫家劉延風來說, 藝術創作是去發現美的精髓,並用自己的方式表現出來的過程。
Born to a family of scholars, Liu began to read ancient Chinese philosophy and literature when he was a child, studies that provided valuable depth to his career as a painter.
Even today, he spends much more time on Chinese classics than he does painting because he believes what the ancient sages said are a source of inspiration for fresh artistic perception.
What makes Liu different from many other painters is that his work not only pleases the eye, but also touches one's soul. 他的畫作不但悅目,而且觸及到觀者的靈魂。這使他不同於其他的畫家。
Yet he learned technique like other aspiring painters. 不過,他也曾和其他畫家一樣熱心於學習繪畫技法。
"When I was young, I concentrated a lot of effort in improving my skills, trying to present things exactly as they appear," Liu said. "The process took about a dozen years until one day I realized that artistic creation should be an interaction between the soul and nature, and the painter and his audience."
"An innovative painter should always be guided by his soul and heart rather than eyes and hands," Liu explained. "Only when you use the strength of your soul to perceive the subject can you master its spirit and 'personality'." "一個有創新的畫家應該跟隨靈魂與感覺,而不是簡單的模仿"。"只有通過心力去體會一個物體,你才能抓住它的神和個性特點"。
Flowers, plants, birds, animals, rocks and water are the subjects of Liu's work. Once in his paintings, they have their own stories to tell. 延風的畫作主要以花,植物,飛禽,動物,石頭和水為主。一旦進入到他的作品, 他們就變得意境十足。
"It's not an easy thing to present the spirit and personality of subjects. It requires close observation and long meditation," Liu said.
把物體的神和特點表現出來不是件容易的事,這需要密切的觀察和長時間的冥想。
He recalled his experience drawing withered lotus leaves several years ago.
他回想起了幾年前的一段經歷,當時他正準備畫凋敗了的荷葉。
"Sitting by the pond, I was deeply touched by their faded beauty because of the desolate season of autumn.
“坐在荷塘邊,我被深秋中那凋謝著的美深深地感動了”。
"But every time I started to draw, I stopped and hesitated. For a long time I gazed at the leaves silently, only to listening to the murmurs of these old friends and sharing their deepest feelings.
"I don't know how long I stayed until two birds stopped at the leaves, which had a seedpod full of lotus seeds. “不知過了多久,有兩支小鳥落在葉子上,葉子旁邊有個蓮子滿滿的蓮蓬”。
"I suddenly felt my eyes brim with tears, realizing the stark contrast of death and life was the untold beauty I perceived at that moment.
“那一瞬間,從生死的強烈對照,我感悟到了無法用言語表達的美,我無法自持”。
"Blooming lotus flowers in summer are not only a grand display of life, but also preparation for a new generation of life. When the flowers fade and leaves wither, the seeds mature and are ready to carry new life." Liu said.
He expressed that in his painting Lotus Pond in Autumn, one of the most successful works of his career.
他曾說,"秋日荷塘"是他最滿意的作品之一。
The spirit and personality of subjects is also captured in his other paintings like Bamboo in Snow, in which bamboo displays its dignity even in the harshest environment.
其它一些作品,像"雪竹"中他同樣抓住了竹的神和特點,展現了竹子即使在最嚴酷的環境裡的氣節
Though weighed by heavy snow, the bamboo remains upright, showing its unwillingness to bend and bow under any pressure. 竟管大雪壓身, 竹子不屈於任何壓力,仍然挺直向上。
Liu is a member of the Association of Chinese Painters and a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Calligraphy and Painting. Some of his work has been selected by State leaders as gifts to foreign counterparts.