DENG JING

[Comment from the artist.

I studied Japanese painting at Hiroshima City University as an exchange student from Southwest University. I was impressed by the university's attitude of protecting and respecting Japanese art and culture, and by its learning method of broadening the scope of creative work through copying excellent classical works, so I decided to enter the university's postgraduate school. She completed her postgraduate studies this spring after four years of study and research since her time as an exchange student.

The works on display in this exhibition are divided into two thematic sections: 'Reproductions of the Current Situation' and 'Spring Buds'. The current state copy is a reproduction of the fading and deterioration of the original. For me, copying is both a revival and innovation of traditional techniques, and also a way of summing up my studies in Japan. Over the past four years, I have copied classical works on three different substrates - paper, silk and wall paintings. The reproductions on display in this exhibition are the 'Parrots' by Jakuchu Ito, a section of the 'Horyuji Mural Wall No. 6' and a section of the 'Maitreya Raigo-zu'. At the same time, in order to show the site and process of the work's creation, the exhibition also includes a test piece used at the beginning of the process, the raising copy, and the production stage.

[Spring Buds] is a series of works based on plant subjects. The works are made using a variety of base materials, including Japanese cloud skin linen paper, Chinese multi-layered leather paper, silk and wooden boards. We have been made deeply aware of the fact that we have entered an era of great information explosion with the rapid development of our society. We are often turned off by our aversion to a cumbersome environment and by fatigue caused by the complexity of human relationships. That is why I cherish the small landscapes I encounter in my daily life and want to express the fresh, warm colours of nature, full of vitality, in my Japanese paintings. At the same time, I am searching for a way to connect nature, the object of my paintings, and 'I', the creator, using rock paints.

This exhibition is not the result of a study, but a new start. If the reproduction is the 'seed', the production is the 'spring sprout'. Through this exhibition, I hope that those who have spent a year in the Corona Disaster will feel a new strength.

Last but not least, I would like to express my gratitude to the teachers of the Japanese Painting Department of Hiroshima City University who have guided me for four years.

- Deng Jing