Wyndham Social in Central | Echoes of the Stone: Mineral Pigment Paintings Twenty students jointly presented, exploring the thousand-year-old rock colors and innovating local art

Description

The Hong Kong Yan Painting Art Association is pleased to announce that it will hold the 'New Languages of Yan' Yan Painting Joint Exhibition at Wyndham Social, G/F, 33 Wyndham Street, Central, Hong Kong, from 18 April 2025 to 11 May 2025. This exhibition brings together the latest creations of twenty students from the Society, showing how they combine traditional Yan painting techniques with their personal artistic styles after studying the Dunhuang murals, creating works that are exploratory and original. 

The artists participating in this exhibition include: Chung Da Fu, President of the Hong Kong Yan Painting Art Association; Zhu Qiu Hui, Vice President; Chen Hui Bing, Secretary; famous artists Chen Yu Qiang, Li You Meng, Li Qi Mei (Wen Ya), Dunhuang Yan Painting Researcher Wang Xue Li; and Zeng Cai Yun, Jiang Xiu Mei, Zhang Jia Yu, Zhang Yu Ping, Chen Yao Hua, Li Jing, Zhang Jia Xin, Cai Ying Yan, Li Wan Shuo, Liang Pei Er, Luo Xiao Man, Ma Xiao Feng, and Guo Xiao Yun. 

Yan painting is an artistic form that uses mineral stone ground into powder to create paint, with a history that can be traced back to the Tang Dynasty in China. The Hong Kong Yan Painting Art Association organized a nine-day learning journey to Dunhuang Yan Painting in June 2024, aiming to explore the roots of Yan painting art and combine it with contemporary art. The students went to ancient pigment mines, personally collected Dunhuang mural pigments, and learned about the raw materials of Yan painting. They also learned the traditional rubbing techniques of Dunhuang murals, including restorative rubbing,整理性臨摹 and 現狀性臨摹, as well as the 'dot and ink' technique of fine rubbing, to deeply experience the Yan painting process. Chung Da Fu, President of the Hong Kong Yan Painting Art Association, said that the Society members went to the Mogao Caves in Dunhuang to study the rubbing techniques of Tang Dynasty murals, aiming to explore the roots of Yan painting art and combine it with contemporary art. 

Artist Chung Da Fu used subjective rubbing of the 'Flying Fairy on a Dragon' from the center of the ceiling of the 329th niche of the Mogao Grottoes to depict the fairy's inner joy, graceful body, and sense of soaring in the air. Wang Xue Li's 'Purple Velvet' is a new Yan painting created using traditional mineral pigments and traditional painting techniques. It often uses color dyeing, overlapping colors, gold leaf and other techniques common in murals, and utilizes the coloring characteristics and texture integration of traditional painting pigments (mineral pigments) to pursue the decorative features of mural planes in three-dimensional space, reflecting the current aesthetic interests. Chen Yu Qiang used the colored sand and stones he collected from the mountains to describe minerals and crystals, unifying the relationship between the painting materials and the objects being described. 

This exhibition is supported by the venue partner, Wyndham Social. As a platform for promoting cultural exchange, Wyndham Social's collaboration with the Hong Kong Yan Painting Art Association further realizes its mission of connecting art and fostering dialogue. The exhibition allows audiences to appreciate the unique charm of Yan painting art up close and witness the fresh interpretation of this ancient art in a contemporary context. The works in this exhibition blend traditional Yan painting techniques with modern artistic elements, and some pieces are the first attempts at Yan painting by the students. The exhibition not only presents the rich expressiveness of Yan painting art but also demonstrates the Society's commitment to promoting Yan painting art, enriching Chinese painting art expressions, and establishing unique Yan painting concepts and local cultural consciousness. 

During the exhibition, the Hong Kong Yan Painting Art Association will hold three exciting events: 

1. Dunhuang Art x Incense Art x Tea Ceremony, 3 May, Saturday, 2:30-3:30pm 
This event seamlessly blends the profundity of Dunhuang art, the tranquility of incense appreciation, and the elegance of the tea ceremony, aiming to create a multi-sensory immersive experience. Participants will be surrounded by Yan painting art while experiencing the essence of traditional Chinese incense and tea ceremonies, feeling the perfect union of ancient art and lifestyle aesthetics. 

2. Yan Painting Art Forum - Seeking Tradition in Stones, 3 May, Saturday, 4:00-6:00pm 
This forum gathers seasoned and emerging artists with an interest in Yan painting to share their experiences and insights, fostering a discussion on the future development of Yan painting art. 

3. Yan Painting Art Workshop, 10 May, Saturday, 3:00-6:00pm 
This workshop offers a hands-on opportunity for interested artists to learn about the history, characteristics, and techniques of Yan painting.