Painting a broader universe

In the over three centuries since Bada Shanren (1626-1705), a prince-turned-monk and artist, left this world, the iconic visual language of his ink paintings has created an even deeper resonance with the public.

His works have been integrated into popular culture, with people particularly fond of animals personified under his expressive strokes — fish, birds, deer, and cats, their eyes turned to the sky, staring wide-eyed, and gazing ahead blankly. These creatures' expressions have transformed into popular memes across social media, an outlet many use to vent their social anxiety and workplace stress.

The works of Bada Shanren, often referred to as just Bada, stand out with an unconventional minimalist approach and sedated mood that bring people respite in the intervals of their fast-paced lifestyles.

Marking the 400th anniversary of his birth, his birthplace, Nanchang, Jiangxi province, is holding an exhibition, So Lofty the Spirit, So Eternal the Ink, at a memorial and museum named after him. In Beijing, where prestigious museums also house his works, an ongoing exhibition at the National Art Museum of China reveals the enthusiasm and muted beauty of Bada's spiritual world.

Ink Splendor and Cultural Context: Exhibition of Bada Shanren and Chinese Xieyi Art Since the 17th Century, running until Aug 15, gathers over 60 paintings and calligraphic pieces from the collections of the NAMOC, the Shanghai Museum, the Guangzhou Museum of Art in Guangdong province, the Bada Shanren Memorial in Jiangxi, and other institutions. It is held under an Ink Splendor and Cultural Context program umbrella for which the NAMOC has been mounting exhibitions of classical art and artifacts to honor the consistency of Chinese cultural lineage.

Shao Xiaofeng, the exhibition's co-curator, says that amid drastic social transformations in the 17th century, Bada carved out a new realm through an innovative freehand style on paper: "With just a few strokes, he drew fish and birds to convey a transcendent mental state and detachment from mundane worries, a pool of lotus blossoms to present Zen serenity for meditation, and rocks in strange forms that reveal defiance and pride.

"These ordinary subjects represent his deepest feelings and unyielding integrity, thereafter elevating the art of xieyi (drawing the spirit) to new heights."

It is not difficult to discern Bada's works from others'. In addition to the evocative animals and their rolling eyes, his art is characterized with limited, often monochromatic, hues, reserved strokes and sparse composition, hinting at aloofness in his character and a witty attitude. His art is highly regarded as a one-of-a-kind in the style of wenrenhua, or elite literati paintings.

To understand Bada's distinct art requires knowledge of his life trajectory.

Bada led a lonely, destitute life, despite being born into prestige. He was raised at Prince Yiyang's Mansion in Nanchang and was known by his birth name, Zhu Tongquan, and also by Zhu Da. He belonged to a direct line of the imperial Zhu house that ruled the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). His ancestral lineage is traced to Zhu Quan, one of Ming's founding emperor Zhu Yuanzhang's sons.

If Bada had been born in the Ming prime, he could have led a prince's life of superiority and affluence, but his days were turned upside down in the raging storms of monarchic transition. At 18, he witnessed the collapse of the Ming, replaced by the Manchu-built Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Fearing that he would be executed like many of his clan members, he fled into the mountain wilderness and later became a Buddhist monk. He led a monastic life for over three decades during which he was devoted to practicing Buddhism, painting, and calligraphy.