Interest in new ink—ink painting which combines new techniques with traditional influences—is on the rise in China and internationally. This is true from both a craft perspective, as a study of methodology, and from that of museums looking to feature installations and establish collections. This trend developed as scholars of traditional ink painting, and artists who work in the medium, have been forced to confront the question of whether the form remains relevant and retains the persuasive artistic power it has traditionally held, or whether it must become more reflective of the contemporary.

Before answering this question, it is important to develop an ontological discourse on the tradition of painting in ink—to determine the core essence of the form in order to understand the ways in which its elements may be combined with contemporary techniques. What are we talking about when we discuss ink painting? Ink and rice paper as materials? The blackness of ink as a color? The brush as a strange tool? In contrasting various arguments, it becomes clear that the existing discourse on ink painting, in presuming the tradition a virtue, over-evaluates its specialties and advantages in style, and in its use of material and the tools employed. There is little basis for the assumption by devotees of the form that the techniques and material used in ink painting are superior to oil and canvas. Instead, the true essence of ink painting, and its strength as a medium, comes from the spirituality of the literati ink painting tradition, in which artists produce work with the aim of reflecting the ideal values of a community, rather than to produce a physical object of value.

Professor Pan Gongkai will present his art practices in seeking alternative ways of combining the contemporary and the traditional: contemporary installation work with an ink element; a video installation presenting reflections on the aesthetic mechanics of ink painting; and practices developed from the sense of self-discipline which evolved with the tradition. Only the last should be considered new ink, though the first two make for interesting contemporary work.

A renowned artist, theoretician and educator, Pan Gongkai is a strong proponent of the Chinese ink painting tradition. His large ink paintings retain essential elements of traditional literati painting enhanced with modern aesthetics. In this way, his work exemplifies a modern synthesis of traditional ink and wash painting. Critically acclaimed, Pan’s ink paintings and installations works have been exhibited at the Paris headquarters of UNESCO, Venice Biennale, ZKM in Germany and major art museums in New York, San Francisco, Beijing, Tokyo, Hong Kong and Macao. He is the author of History of Painting in China, Limit and Exploration, Analysis of Pan Tianshou’s Painting Skill and On Pan Tianshou’s Life and Art. In recent years, Pan has dedicated himself to comprehensive research on modern Chinese art, and his recent publication The Road of Chinese Modern Art has made a significant impact on the liberal arts in China. Pan currently serves as the president of the China Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing.