The Accidental Grace of Ink 1990-2014: Peng Xiancheng Solo Exhibition

Tina Keng Gallery is pleased to present The Accidental Grace of Ink 1990-2014 — Peng Xiancheng Solo Exhibition, which marks the debut of the Chinese artist in Taiwan. Peng excels at mogu (boneless), a traditional Chinese painting technique that renders forms in ink and color washes instead outlines. The exhibition highlights his work of shuimo (water and ink) between 1990 and 2014, which blends calligraphy with painting against the backdrop of ancient Chinese history.

Peng has been an avid lover of art since he was a child. His encounter with Xu Beihong’s paintings of horses inspired him to begin painting by imitating the style of masters. His next inspiration came when he visited Dunhuang and Xinjiang at the age of 40, where he became immensely in awe of the portraiture in murals, the solemn style of which was later incorporated into his own work. Before the age of 35 he was spurred by a spontaneous impulse that drove him to paint. As he grew into his 40s, he shifted his focus toward developing an individual style that is shaped by his constant endeavor and ceaseless dedication to art. In recent years, Peng concentrates on the practice of “density and sparseness,” “simplicity and implicitness” in his work, which embodies the multifacetedness of water and ink on rice paper, as well as the ancient charm and etherealness of the mogu technique.

“Peng’s figures and horses are unique, lively and splendid; he is as skilled as the ancient painters,” Chinese contemporary art historian Wan Qingli once wrote. “In his works, the ancient and modern elements are very distinct, clear at a glance.” Everything in the universe — landscapes, people, birds, animals, fruit, vegetables, or flowers — comes to life under Peng’s brush. Careful brushstrokes, each full of implicit charm, are employed to construct vivid imagery where simplicity triumphs over complexity. Subdued contrasts in tones and shades, ingenious applications of ink and wash, all contribute to the serene ambience that envelops Peng’s work as well as the viewer before it.

Peng Xiancheng

Peng Xiancheng was born in 1941 in Chengdu, Sichuan, China. He is currently a national first-rank artist and an expert painter at the Sichuan Provincial Academy of Poetry and Calligraphy. He is also a member of the China Artists Association, a council member of the Chinese Painting Institute, and a researcher at the China National Academy of Painting. He receives a special subsidy from the State Council. Peng’s works have been collected by the National Art Museum of China, the Johnson Museum of Art at Cornell University, the Beijing Fine Art Academy Museum, Sichuan Provincial Museum, Zhejiang Art Museum, the Shenzhen Art Museum, the China National Academy of Painting, Prince Charles of England, Professor Jerome Silbergeld of Princeton University, and Professor Wan Qingli of Hong Kong University.