Page 80 - Contenporary Ink Chinese Painting Nov 27 2017 Hong Kong

Whilst inspired by Northern Song landscape paintings Li
continuously modernises his style, employing methods such as
splashed ink and abstract expressionism. His works contrast
meticulous (gongbi) and expressive (xieyi) brushwork within the
same composition, embodying the elegance and subtlety of
classical Chinese ink paintings with a splurge of light, space
and energy unseen in the genre. This is partly impacted by his
experience of living in the United States: in 1982 he left China
for San Francisco to study at the San Francisco Academy
of Art University where he received training in Western art,
obtaining a degree in 1984. It was here that he began to see the
connection between American abstract expressionism and the
splashed ink technique. To create the architectonic formations
of grotesque mountains and cliffs in his works, Li splashes
ink onto paper, allowing it to flow freely to form the underlying
composition – a process most notably associated with Zhang
Daqian.

In Magnificent Hills and Pine, the composition confronts the
viewers with the sublimity of nature. The struggle and vitality of
the pine trees are rendered painstakingly, propelling the viewer
into a philosophical reflection on individual existence within
the vastness of the universe. As Li Huayi writes, ‘the beauty of
landscape has to be in sync with one’s emotions. When one
walks away from the scenery, the transient beauty of becomes
impossible to experience fully like the flowing mist and
clouds. Every moment in time and space creates new artistic
conceptions.’

李華弌的作品在展現強烈的視覺美感之餘，獨到的創作過程
則跨越時空及歷史，蘊含藝術家對現代美學解構思潮的探討
及思考。他雖受北宋山水畫風啟發，但一直運用潑墨法、抽
象 表 現 主 義 等 不 同 技 法 和 風 格， 力 圖 獨 樹 一 幟。 同 一 佈 局
中，他兼用工筆、寫意以作對比，通過力量、光影、空間體
現古典山水畫之優雅精妙。他的創作得益於在美國學習並生
活的經歷：1982 年，他赴三藩市入讀三藩市藝術大學，並於
1984 年獲得藝術碩士學位，期間他從美國抽象表現主義中找
到潑墨技巧的理論根基。畫面中高低起伏的峰巒由藝術家直
接用墨色刷於紙上產生，而墨汁則自由流淌，形成帶有隨機
性和偶然性的構圖，與張大千的潑墨有異曲同工之妙。

《立松重嶺》中衝破邊際的陡然峭壁打破了傳統宋代山水的
構圖傳統，精湛詮釋了自然之恢宏壯麗，令觀者頓生崇高之
感。岩間枯榮的蒼松在畫家細緻的勾勒下表現出強大的生命
力，引發出“人生天地間”的蒼茫思索。正如李華弌所言：“如
果風景用來寄情，它的美一定要和情緒符合。當離開每個景
觀的時候，山水之美已不可言傳，如雲霧的飄動，時刻在變
化，靈動流動的山水，每處都想再去回首，每一瞬間和空間
的相融都創造新的意境。”

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