A Dance of Landscapes and Civilisation / Alisan Fine Arts (Central) / Hong Kong / Sep 19 – Dec 9, 2023 /
The first solo presentation of Lin Guocheng’s work at Alisan Fine Arts showcased two series by the Hong Kong-based, mainland Chinese artist. Having studied at the Sichuan Fine Arts Institute, the artist merges a foundation in Chinese art with his knowledge of Renaissance art and modern technology, playing with perspectives, proportions and compositional elements. Examining the relationship between nature, humans and the evolving world, the resulting presentation celebrates a shared history and pays homage to cultural heritage.
Lin’s first monochromatic Landscape series echoes the spirit of Renaissance etchings and drawings, with volume and depth masterfully captured by his clever application and manipulation of lines. The influences of masters such as Albrecht Dürer and Michelangelo can be seen in the rendering of movement and fluidity, except that Lin’s subject matter of landscapes could not be more different. His portrayals of Chinese shanshui appear to take on lives of their own, flourishing organically and rhizomatically without order or structure. They overflow from the physical brims that contain them – the inside frames of the box that the artist has created – alluding to linear perspective, another innovative Renaissance technique.
In Along the Riverbank – A Variation (2020), the artist references the Tang dynasty painting by Dong Yuan (934-962), who revolutionised Chinese painting during that era. Gazing upon the monumental diptych, it is impossible not to be drawn in closer. With its tapestry of details documenting every knotted tree branch, water ripple and coastline crag, it teems with life and energy, and invites deeper introspection and contemplation typical of Song dynasty literati paintings.
In his Civilisation series, Lin examines remnants of the past and takes a deep dive into Chinese history by exploring the bronze age culture specific to Sanxingdui, an archaeological site in modern Sichuan province that dates to the 12th century BC. In Three Star Mound (2022), the artist recreates an ancient character gazing at an archaic bird, based on the bronze masks and relics excavated from the site. The exhibition is well timed, with the exhibition Sanxingdui currently ongoing at the Hong Kong Palace Museum.
In the two Star River and Totem (2023) paintings, he portrays auspicious Chinese animals, such as a leaping deer, a prancing qilin and harping peacocks, as well as soaring dragons. The animals are intricately drawn, and are set against colourful mosaic backgrounds that recall pixelated computer screens, swelling and swirling organically in tandem with the animals’ movements. The effect is to call into question the growing influence of technology on our world.
Lin is a masterful storyteller. He not only reinterprets Chinese historical subject matter from a western perspective, but also combines analogue with digital, and past with present. Armed with ink, markers and signing pens, his dreamscapes transport us to a different era. In reconciling the old with the new, his works are a celebration of our shared history, and also reminders that in order for us to move towards a sustainable future, we must honour our past while embracing the present.
Featured image: Three Star Mound by Lin Guocheng / 161x126cm | Chinese ink, colour & pen on watercolour paper, 2022. Courtesy Alisan Fine Art Hong Kong.