Ink artist activates the motion of strokes to echo predecessor master’s brushwork spirit

Shitao, the great monk artist who lived in the 17th and 18th centuries, asserted that the brushwork of ink should address ever-changing social demands, and throughout centuries, that principle has been guiding artists to renew the presentations of ink and keep the tradition alive in modern times.

Zou Xunjing, who specializes in the flower-and-bird genre of Chinese painting, is showing his such exploration at the ongoing exhibition, Momentum, in Beijing. Curated by Ma Yue, the show is held at the Uruguayan Art Space through to Jan 17.

Zou received solid training of oil painting and Chinese painting at his alma mater, Central Academy of Fine Arts. He has gradually focused on the creation of the flower-and-bird motif, done with the gongbi style that requires accurate delimitation and refined colors.

The exhibition shows his three recent series, the Classic Gardens, Colorful and Through Hardships, in which Zou shows his technical refinement and meanwhile, an incorporation of the style of impressionism to render his work a peaceful atmosphere.