Ink Painting

2006

Length:89.4 x Width:177.5 (cm)

Shen Chien-Lung (b. 1960, Taichung) earned his BFA from Tunghai University and an MFA in Chinese Painting and Calligraphy from the National Taiwan University of Arts. He studied under numerous established artists, including Huang Tsai-Sung (1951-), Liu Yen-Chen (1952-), Chan Chien-Yu (1952-), Ni Tsai-Chin (1955-2015), Wang Hsiu-Hsiung (1931-), Chen Tzu-Chang (1958-), and Chen Shih-Hou (1957-). His work has been selected or awarded in numerous regional and national exhibitions, including the Miaoli, Yunlin, Central Taiwan, Provincial, and National Fine Arts Exhibitions. Shen worked in the public cultural sector for over thirty years, including as Director of the Taichung City Cultural Affairs Bureau, and now teaches color ink painting workshops after retirement, continuing to promote this art form.
Shen specializes in richly colored ink painting and meticulous brush techniques. In recent years, his works have embraced elements of surrealism, adding a contemporary edge to his practice. Lingering in the World of Dust, a hanging scroll, depicts a narrow alleyway lined with endless red brick walls. The sky is mostly hidden beneath sloping rooftops, and a dim light filters through, casting soft illumination on the ground. In the foreground, steam rises from a boiling stove; further back, figures stand or sit along the street, evoking the bustle and warmth of everyday urban life. This piece belongs to Shen’s ongoing street-scene series, which nostalgically revisits red-brick alleyways of his childhood. Through diffused light and ambiguous shadows, Shen creates a time-warping effect—drawing viewers into a dreamlike tunnel that leads back to the old city. The work exemplifies his unique narrative approach to contemporary ink painting.

Accession number:20170300271