A retrospective exhibition of Chinese artist Hong Ling runs at the Chester Beatty Library in Dublin from October 21 to January 29, 2017. Born in Beijing in 1955, the artist studied oil painting in the years after the Chinese Cultural Revolution (1966–76). In the mountains of rural China his brush found a new path. Drawing together the imported medium of oil on canvas with the landscapes and philosophies of China’s artistic heritage, Hong Ling has made a contribution to the world of Chinese landscape painting unparalleled in its vibrancy.
The exhibition charts the development of his art from student paintings in his personal collection to vast later works in oil and in ink. Working from his studio in the foothills of the Yellow Mountains of China’s Anhui Province, Hong Ling reveals the charged atmosphere of this dramatic locale from the bold colours of the shifting seasons to the heavy mists that weave among pine-clad peaks. As exhilarating as they are immersive, Hong Ling’s paintings stand as an invitation to join him in the landscape that is his home and his inspiration.
The exhibition is part of a touring retrospective sponsored by UNEEC Culture and Education Foundation, Taiwan, and organised with Soka Art and the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London.
A Peak of Reds
Hong Ling, 2014, China
Private collection
© Hong Ling. Courtesy Soka Art Beijing
White Poplars in the Temple of Heaven
Hong Ling, 1979, China
Collection of the artist
© Hong Ling. Courtesy Soka Art Beijing
Rainbow-like
Hong Ling, 2015, China
Private collection
© Hong Ling. Courtesy Soka Art Beijing
Hong Ling painting in ink at his studio
© Hong Ling. Courtesy Soka Art Beijing