28 Chinese

Rain-washed Sky
2008
by Lan Zhenghui (Chinese, b. 1959)
Ink on Xuan paper mounted on canvas

Courtesy of Rubell Family Collection, Miami.
© Lan Zhenghui.

Trained in calligraphy, Lan Zhenghui started making large-scale ink paintings to focus on emotion and feeling. He uses vigorous gestures and body movements in applying black ink on calligraphy paper, sometimes splashing the ink on the surface. The result is powerful and organic, like the rainstorms that are a source of inspiration for the painter. Lan Zhenghui's work is a reminder that while Chinese contemporary art may require a rupture with China's artistic past, it also offers an opportunity to push traditional mediums in new directions.

"Untitled: Untitled obelisk. The hard edges of structuralism, the soft emptiness and the vast sides embrace each other in tiny variations."

"Rain-Washed Sky: Ji (rain-washed sky) is a kind of damp atmosphere, almost unbearably dense." —Lan Zhenghui