Bridge connecting worlds: Wu Guanzhong's art lands in Seoul

Korea Herald

2 days ago

Nadia Lau, curator at HKMoA, shares legacy of Chinese art master who united modern and contemporary, Eastern and Western art
In the painting "Snow-covered Mountain," Chinese artist Wu Guanzhong (1919-2010) left blank large areas of Xuan paper, a traditional Chinese handmade paper. The untouched whiteness of the paper evokes snow-covered mountains in striking contrast with black ink. The work hints at the Chinese art master's philosophical approach to ink wash painting.
'Ink, when applied to Xuan paper, exudes a vibrant spirit thanks to the strong contrast between black and white. White plays a commanding role in traditional Chinese painting,' the artist, whose works are on display at the exhibition 'Wu Guanzhong: Between Black & White' running at Seoul Calligraphy Art Museum at Seoul Arts Center, once said.
The exhibition, which opened July 25, is the master's first solo show in Seoul, bringing together 17 selected paintings from the Hong Kong Museum of Art. A larger exhibition of Wu's works in Hong Kong attracted more than 570,000 visitors last year, according to HKMoA.
Highlights of the exhibition include Wu's depictions of Jiangnan, his homeland in eastern China, in 'Reminiscences of Jiangnan' that only shows colors of black, silver gray and white. Wu depicts houses with transparent washes and minimal lines while a few swallows subtly lead the viewers from abstraction to figuration.
'This interplay between abstract and figurative elements embodies Wu's artistic ideal: maintaining a slender link to everyday life in abstract art, like a 'kite that keeps its connection by the thread,'' said Nadia Lau, a curator at HKMoA, in an interview with The Korea Herald via email.
Among the works on view, Lau picked 'Reminiscences of Jiangnan' as one that best represents Wu's artistic world.
What makes the exhibition resonate even more with viewers is that Wu's works reveal how the artist struggled and agonized over his works, blending Eastern and Western artistic traditions after returning to China from Paris in the early 1950s. He persisted despite criticism leveled against his works.
'He diligently pursued his vision of modernizing Chinese ink wash painting and nationalizing oil painting. By infusing Eastern sentiments with Western aesthetics, he blazed a trail for modern Chinese painting,' Lau said.
The silvery gray-toned oil painting 'Waterway,' reminiscent of ink wash painting, depicts his hometown with some colorful dots that look like pearls and gems. The painting shows how his art evolved, encompassing different artistic practices in his own unique visual language.
'He once remarked -- 'Ink is a river, and oil is a parallel road,' symbolizing his alternating journeys across these mediums (ink and oil). Wu sought to build a bridge through his artistic creations, one that connected the East and the West, common people and experts, figurative and abstract,' the curator said.
HKMoA has a collection of more than 450 works by Wu, donated by the artist and his family. The Hong Kong and Seoul exhibitions were supported by a sponsorship of 100 million Hong Kong dollars ($12.7 million) from Wu Keyu, the son of the artist, according to the museum.
Wu had a strong literary sensibility as well, shown in the texts that accompany some of his paintings. For him, painting and writing were inseparable forms of creative expression, and he was known to have been greatly influenced by the Chinese writer Lu Xun.
'As the tides of the art world rise and fall, life persists. Perhaps my eyesight gradually dims and ages, but my inner vision becomes ever brighter. I persist in observing, painting and writing, leaving behind genuine reflections of a wandering soul,' writing elucidates next to the painting 'Downs and Up.'
At the end of the exhibition is a multimedia immersive art installation, inspired by Wu's works and created by Hong Kong-based artist Chris Cheung, in collaboration with artificial intelligence.
The exhibition, running through Oct. 19, is a prelude to Hong Kong Week 2025@Seoul, which kicks off on Sept. 26, offering 14 performances, film screenings, outdoor shows, fashion design and other events, connecting creative talent from Hong Kong and Seoul.
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