Su Chung-ming
October 12 – December 5, 2024
Su Chung-ming’s paintings have an aura of elegance, found in the deep lush mountains of the Orient. With towering peaks rising above passing clouds, doted with fine and delicate foliage, his landscapes are a sight to behold. Often adored with smooth and silky waterfalls, the flowing water enhances the sense of calmness, and adds a peaceful temporal quality to the image.
Contrary to what one may image, Su Chung-ming does not frequent famous mountains, and rarely ventures beyond his studio. Situated above downtown Taipei, at the foot of Elephant Mountain, his studio is faced with hustle and bustle of the city, but Su keeps the inside is peaceful and quiet. Here, the artist spends his time painting, mediating, reading, and listening to Classical music. His images are calm, as is his demeanour. His social obligations are few, and his committed solely to his painting, a true modern day hermit.
Creating art is essentially everything to him, and creating worlds within worlds is his art. Aesthetic theorist Zong Baihua (1897–1986) once said; “ancient painters were often drawn to Lao Tzu and Zhuangzi’s ideal of the recluse. They forgone the mundane cares of the world, and observed the myriad things through tranquil silence.” Su Chung-ming’s thoughts and actions indeed reflect the ideals of the Taoist sages, and his landscapes, both in terms of expression and artistic conception, can be traced back to the Song and Yuan Dynasties. The famous passage Free and Easy Wandering by Zhuangzi inspired countless Song and Yuan Dynasty painters, where spirited individuals did not simply stop on the mountains among the clouds, but rose above in pursuit of total freedom.
From a small room in a crowded city, Su Chung-ming creates vast sprawling landscapes. The landscapes are not real, but ethereal, a bridge between imagination and reality. They invite the viewer to see past the material and enjoy the essence of mountains.
Reception: Saturday, Oct 12, 2024, 3:00 pm