Ink Painting

2015

Length:95.5 x Width:177 (cm)

Li Chen-Ming (b. 1955, Chiayi City) studied under local painter Tsao Ken (1931-2000). In 1972, he entered the Taiwan Provincial Chiayi Normal College (now National Chiayi University), where he received guidance from ink painter Chen Ming (dates unknown), and later was admitted to the Department of Fine Arts at National Taiwan Normal University. In 1984, his work Drifting at Guandu won first prize in the Lion Art New Artist Award, establishing his focus on ecological themes. With support from the Youth Cultural Foundation, he later traveled in Europe and China, broadening the scope and subject matter of his ink painting practice. Li has taught at various institutions in central Taiwan, including National Taichung University of Science and Technology and National Taichung University of Education, and from 2001 served at National Taiwan Normal University’s Department of Fine Arts, where he was department chair and dean of the College of Arts. He retired in 2020.
Wind over the Dadu River Estuary Wetland is a quintessential subject in Li’s oeuvre, depicting the scenery at the mouth of the Dadu River in central Taiwan. An avid birdwatcher, Li often incorporates Taiwan’s endemic bird species into his work, reflecting his concern for nature and environmental issues. In composing the scene, he employs a complex layering of techniques, combining traditional ink methods such as texturing strokes and washes with semi-automatic approaches like splashing, to enrich the visual depth of the painting. Filling the pictorial space with abstracted imagery of riverbank sands, grasses, and withered branches, he accents the vegetation with colors such as gamboge and malachite green, adding vibrancy and vitality to the scene.

Accession number:20170100010