NATURE: Hong Ling derives its name from Laozi’s Tao Te Ching: “Man follows the laws of the Earth, the Earth follows the laws of Heaven, Heaven follows the laws of Tao, Tao follows the laws of Nature.” This notion echoes the unique language of Hong Ling which combines realizations about nature with the art of painting. Since the Song Dynasty, China has been seeking the harmony between heaven and man emphasized in the teachings of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism. This led to notions of a harmonic existence amongst man, nature, and society in which there would be care for nature. With heaven and earth at its core, this notion became the highest aesthetic realm that China has long aspired to attain. However, with the modernization of Chinese society, the harmony between heaven and man at the heart of Eastern aesthetics disappeared. Hong Ling once stated that: “Shanshui (Landscapes) are still the same from the Song Dynasty. So, it is not Shanshui that has changed, but the hearts and minds of the people.”

*image (left)
Respected White Snow, 2011
Oil on canvas, 300x420cm
© Hong Ling and Soka Art Center

Courtesy of KdMoFA