Kindness, Blessing, and Perfection – Traditional Chinese Paintings by JIANGANG SU
Opening Sat August 6th 2-4pm (https://su.eventbrite.ca)
Aug 8 – Sep 9, 2022
M – F 10 – 5
Tue until 8pm
The title of the exhibition 戩穀罄宜 (jian gu qing yi) comes from Confucius’ Book of Songs. Its meaning is perfection and blessing.
Following the 2021 exhibition Everlasting Joy – Painting, Calligraphy and Seal Carving by Jiangang Su, Lipont Gallery presents Kindness, Blessing, and Perfection – Traditional Chinese Paintings by Jiangang Su in 2022. Through this new body of work, artist Jiangang Su has carried out a series of themed creations based on the native birds of Greater Vancouver area, such as Common Yellowthroat, Dark-Eyed Junco, and Canadian Goose. The essence of the works perfectly combines the realistic modeling from nature and the artist’s ingenuity. His brushwork is refined, upright, and firm, and his composition and colouring are elegant, simple, and intriguing. It reflects the artist’s profound knowledge of traditional Chinese painting and his in-depth observation of life and artistic innovation. The works not only are highly ornamental, but also echo the spiritual trajectory of the times, and have humanistic value and collection value.
In addition to Su’s paintings and calligraphy, this exhibition also introduces the aesthetic concept of the elegance of a traditional Chinese scholar’s study. Su’s handmade writing instruments and desk accessories such as a handwritten lacquer inkstone screen, qin inscriptions, inkstone inscriptions, and rubbings will be on display in the exhibition, which truly demonstrate the artist’s pursuit of life aesthetics, interest, and profound meanings.
The exhibition opens on Saturday August 6, 2022, from 2pm to 5pm at Lipont Gallery, 4211 No. 3 Road Richmond, BC.
The exhibition opens from August 8th to 19th 2022, Monday to Friday, from 10am to 5pm (until 8pm on Tuesdays).
【戩穀罄宜】蘇健剛書畫展
“戬穀罄宜 (jian gu qing yi)” 出自【诗经·小雅·天保】。 “天保定尔，俾尔戬谷，罄无不宜，受天百禄。” 戬谷罄宜是尽善，尽宜，而福禄绵长之意。
历经一年的默默耕耘，继2021年的【长乐未央】苏健刚国画、书法、篆刻作品展之后，2022【戬穀罄宜】书画展将如约与大家见面。艺术家苏健刚以大温地区的原生鸟类，例如黄喉地莺 Common Yellowthroat, 暗眼灯草鹀 Dark-Eyed Junco，和加拿大鹅 Canadian Goose等为主题进行了一系列的主题创作，展现了中国花鸟画的精神本质，将源于自然的写实造型与画家的意匠精神完美地结合。其用笔精娴、磊落、坚实，构图和用色清雅、简澹、耐人寻味。体现了艺术家深厚的中国传统绘画修养以及深入观察生活与艺术创新的思考。作品不仅极具观赏性，且与时代精神轨迹相呼应，颇具人文价值和收藏价值。
这次画展除了展示苏健刚的书画作品以外，更引入了文房雅室的审美理念。苏健刚的手作雅器会同场呈现给观众：手书泥金砚屏、琴铭、砚铭、拓片等，真实展示艺术家对生活美学的独特追求、趣味、意蕴笃实与厚重。
敬请大家于2022年8月6 日星期六下午二时至五时光临展览开幕活动。
展览日期：2022年8月8日至19日，周一至周五10:00 – 17:00开放，周二开放至晚20:00。免费停车。
地址：Lipont Gallery, 4211 No. 3 Road Richmond BC V6X 2C3
Qin Inscription
“A good qin of ancient times must be inscribed.” Therefore, as a collection of qin, its inscriptions are like the writings in traditional Chinese landscape paintings. No matter what the content is, these qin inscriptions have become part of the art of qin. Together with the works of poets and prose masters of all dynasties, the calligraphy, and the seal carvings, qin has become a collection of elegant music, poetry, and calligraphy. Qin themselves are works of art. They not only are an ordinary musical instrument, but also have been exuding a unique charm in the torrent of time.
Making the rubbings of qin inscriptions for enjoyment also has formed another kind of elegant collection: Qin Tuo.
This qin on display was handed down by the famous qin master Wang Peng in the collection of the Vancouver collector Mr. Chen Shenghong. Artist Jiangang Su handwrote the calligraphy and engraved it on the back of the qin. This qin is inscribed with the four characters Jiahe Yujian (嘉和玉涧) in a small seal. The inscription on the body is as follows:
“Such a good instrument was made by Wang Peng himself. In the spring of 2010, this qin was recommended by qin master Mr. Yang Qing in Beijing. The sound of this qin is as crisp as jade pieces bumping each other or the sound of water flowing in the mountains. On a snowy day in winter 2022, Mr. Chen showed me this qin in person. I then inscribed this qin in my Leaf Sweeping Studio.”
The seemingly simple qin inscriptions not only are exemplary of the quality of the qin, but also express the qin owner’s pursuit of the ideal realm, so these mottos are engraved on the qin to remind himself to enter such a spiritual realm from time to time. A qin covers the aura of heaven, earth, and people. No matter its material, shape, colour, pattern or inscription, there are many places that people can play and appreciate it. However, as a qin player, you should always remind yourself that the qin is a musical instrument and that it can express your inner world. No matter whether the instrument is expensive or not, you should show the artistic conception in the qin music and express your feelings. – Jiangang Su 2022
琴铭
“古之良琴，其必存铭。” 因而作为古琴收藏，琴铭如同山水画中的题跋一般，大都是一些精简、优雅的文字，有的是韵文，有的是散文，或刻诗以名指，或记述其得到琴的经历。不论是什么内容，这些琴铭都成为古琴艺术中的一部分，加上历代诗文大家作品、书法家的书法、篆刻家的篆刻，使古琴成为一件集雅乐、诗文、书法为一体的艺术品，而不仅仅是一件普通的乐器，并且一直在时间的洪流中散发着独有的魅力。
将琴铭拓印成拓片以供赏玩，也就形成了另一种的雅趣藏品：琴拓。
此琴为温哥华收藏家陈圣泓先生所藏著名琴家王鹏亲斫，苏健刚老师手书并将其镌刻于琴背，并拓以示之。此琴以小篆题刻琴名“嘉和玉涧”四字。琴身铭文如下：
“善哉斯器王鹏手斫庚寅仲春杨青之荐得于京华乐惟至正天籁清音玉振韵古犹如幽谷流泉云山迭翠恬澹平和陶冶性灵壬寅腊月大雪如席阳羡陈圣泓谨识于荆谿小筑琴川苏健刚敬书并铭刊于云城扫叶山房。”
看似简单的琴铭，不仅仅是古琴这件乐器的品质，还表达了拥有者自己对理想境界的追求，于是将这些座右铭刻于琴上，时时提醒自己进入到这样的精神境界。一张琴，涵盖了天、地、人的灵气，无论其材质、形制、漆色、断纹还是琴铭，都有很多值得人们把玩和赏鉴的地方。但是作为弹琴者，也应该时时警醒自己，古琴是一件乐器，是一件能将自己的内心世界外放的乐器，无论乐器贵贱与否，都应该以展现古琴曲中的意境和抒发内心所想为初衷。 – 苏健刚 2022
