Jiang Dahai(b.1949)
Obscuration
oil on canvas
executed in 2011
150x150 cm
(59 x 59 in)

“Learning French art in Paris for years, the cultural edification has motivated Jiang Dahai to cultivate his own journey of art. His career has gone through stages of transformation over the years, in which each stage is signified by an art theme in particular. In the 1990s, he aimed at exploring and expressing the abstract form of objects. The Cloud series is the highlight among all. During his stay in France, his inspiration came from the solar spectrum reflected on the clouds. His abstract painting comprised of elements from the nature and is a mix of different form of clouds and abstract images. Jiang later on introduced Chinese calligraphy into his paintings, creating a sense of free style and abstraction in his works. The pictographic and abstract qualities in Chinese characters fulfilled Jiang’s ideal pursue of ideology in art. The unique structure of Chinese characters is fully articulated in his works. The writing style of lines symbolized a visual flow of melody and the self-contentedness of the artist. Jiang Dahai tried to combine western painting materials with Chinese ones such as traditional rice paper and ink, bringing forward his paintings to a new level of modern form which demonstrates the free and sentimental state of Jiang’s mind. The themes were far away from reality but get closer to pure spirit. The medium, texture and tone of the work create a thick and boundless imagination which makes it a superb piece of visual work. In fact, Chinese and western paintings seem to be two different systems, yet they are seemingly consistent and can be incorporated by the visual structure of abstraction. The skillfully execution of Jiang’s work is a demonstration of his understanding and interpretation towards French art and Chinese culture.”
─ Excerpt from the article on Subtile Vision - Jiang Dahai’s exhibition in 2005 at National Art Museum of China written by Fan Di’an, professor of China Central Academy Of Fine Arts