Author:Hsia Yi-fu(1927-2016)
Category：Ink Painting
Media:Ink and color on paper
Year：1991
Size description：81×71cm
Introduction：The work, completed in 1991, marks a pivotal moment in Hsia Yi-fu’s artistic journey. Shifting from his early method of using dry brush techniques and side strokes to create distant, atmospheric spaces through structured planes, he began exploring a new approach—merging ink and color, with fine brushwork to delineate trees and foliage. Mountains in Morning Light highlights a cascade of meticulously layered forests, building up the mountains that ascend along the central axis of the composition. The mist enveloping the mid-mountain area not only evokes a multifocal sense of depth, but accentuates the sunlight illuminating the mountain slopes, expanding the mid-to-far range perspective into a vast panorama. This morning mountain scene, reminiscent of the timeless elegance of black-and-white photography, embodies the spirit of oriental ink painting tradition, where emptiness and fullness coexist. Rendered in Hsia’s delicate brushwork, the foliage is full of vitality, as if gently swaying in the breeze, while the mist swirling around the peaks foregrounds the mountains’ dimensionality.
Author Introduction：「Hsia Yi-fu」-Born in Shandong, China, Hsia began painting under Li He-sheng in 1935. He studied landscape painting, watercolor, and sketching at Yantai Normal School, graduating from its teacher training department. After moving to Taiwan in 1949, Hsia worked in advertising, embroidery, and furniture design. In 1971, he founded the Tung-Fang Gallery and pursued batik painting. In 1988, he studied under Fu Chuan-fu and won the Innovation Award at the Taipei Fine Arts Museum’s “Modern Interpretation of Ink and Color” exhibition, developing his signature realistic landscape style with detailed dry brush techniques.
Accession number:20220083