Qin Ai(b.1973)
Treasure Box of Wang Xizhi
ink and colour on paper
executed in 2006
63x101.5 cm
(24 3/4 x 40 in)
LITERATURE
p.56-57, The End of World by My Side - Artwork Collection of Qin Ai, Ping Art Space, March 2012

Distinguished by delicate details and fine brushstrokes, meticulous-style painting has a long history since ancient time and is one of the mainstream techniques in traditional Chinese paintings. Originated from the Warring States period, it reached its pinnacle in the Tang dynasty and was valued as the Imperial art in the Qing dynasty. It is highly praised for delivering the ideology through the captures of spirit and form of the subject matters. Unlike other traditional Chinese painting techniques which underwent recreation by masters such as Lin Fengmian, Xu Beihong and Liu Haili under the influence of Western art in the early 20th century, meticulous-style painting was not involved in the revolutionary progress due to its complexity. In 1980s to 1990s, a group of artists began to abandon the expressive structure in traditional meticulous painting. They introduce Western photography or surrealism into their works, violating our logics and creating a twist of time and space with the contrast between ancient and contemporary charm. Art critics consider this as the new meticulous-style art movement. Qin Ai is one of the young leading artists in such movement. She establishes an aesthetic and intercultural beauty in her artworks with a mix of contemporary and traditional art elements. Through the use of medium and her meticulous techniques, her works express not only a sensation of grace but also carry a hint of nostalgia.