Page 122 - The Pioneers, November 26, 2016 Hong Kong

As a modern painter in China, if you want to talk about innovation, you have to create a new
kind of painting unprecedented in China and abroad, while at the same time being
distinctively Chinese.

- Foreword for ‘The Path of Modern Chinese Painting', Liu Kuo Sung

Considered the ‘father of Chinese modern ink', Liu Kuo Chinese, nor modern Westerners. We do not live in the
Sung recalls seeing the national treasure exhibition for Song dynasty, or a Western society. If it is considered
the first time in the National Palace Museum in Taiwan fake to imitate ancient Chinese painting, what difference
before they went on a touring exhibition in America. does it make to copy Western modern paintings?
He described his excitement as he stood in front of Learning what's new in the West is not a replacement for
Travellers among Mountains and Streams (Fig. 1) by Fan imitating ancient Chinese… Each era has its own spirit,
Quan, ‘When I saw the painting, I had goose bumps vocabulary and personal language. It is only through
all over my body. I was truly moved. I felt strongly that mastering these new vocabularies and modern grammar
it was worthwhile re-considering the intention to go that one can express oneself freely.'1 To Liu, art is not just
entirely westernised, because the tradition of Chinese the essence of an artist's personality and independent
painting was absolutely fascinating.' Liu was rooted in philosophy, but also a reflection of its time and a witness
ink tradition and he founded the Fifth Moon Group in of the society in which it is situated.
1965. Liberated from the convention of imitation followed
by his contemporaries, Liu devoted all his energy into Moon walk and space odysseys may not be news
studying and extracting the essence from both Eastern anymore. However, when Neil Armstrong made that first
and Western traditions, giving birth to a new artistic step on the moon in 1969, he inspired many artists in
perspective of Chinese ink. the 20th Century to create their own famed series. Hisao
Domoto's Planet series from the 70s emphasised the
THE NEW LITERATI PAINTING THAT KEEPS UP concept that everything has its regularity and pattern.
WITH TIME Kumi Sugai also looked at outer space and titled his
works such as Moon according to lunar phases and
By applying one point perspective that is commonly seen astronomical phenomena. On the other hand, Liu's work
in Renaissance art (Fig.2), the artist created a sense of is like the butterfly dream instead. His Space series
extensiveness and vastness. Viewers now see above (Fig.3) presents a completely new perspective, looking
the earth and beyond the aerosphere, as if floating in back to the Earth from outer space. It was his response
outer space to admire the ever-shifting stars across the to witnessing the historical event of his time. Liu let go of
entire universe. Liu once talked about the pioneering the subtle and elegant colour tone of traditional Chinese
‘landscape' paintings he created: ‘We are not ancient painting, replacing it with an extremely vibrant red that

Liu Kuo Sung, Midnight Sun III, ink, colour and collage on paper, a set of five panels, Painted in 1970 Anon. Sale, Christie's Hong Kong, 28 Nov 2015, Lot 53,
Sold for:HKD 9,160,000 Premium
劉國松《子夜的太陽之三》彩墨 拼貼 紙本(共五屏) 1970年作 佳士得香港 2015年11月28日 編號53 成交價︰港元9,160,000

Lot 2515 Detail 局部