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Vivid Energy and Charm Style and Spirit
A Yuan Dynasty painting master once said, "So when we speak of relative superiority in painting, we speak of transmitting both form and spirit. Works that transmit spirit are those with a vivid energy and charm." In Examination of Painting, he also said, "The most difficult is the painting of human figures. If one becomes caught up in form, then one will lose its spiritual charm." One requires exceptional technical skill and artistic attainment to harmonize these two artistic elements-to use the standards of Chinese painting to make jade carving, while also using jade carving to depict painterly concepts. First, one must shape the jade according to its form, thinking through each compositional component. Second, while setting aside all notions of color, one must use the material light and line of the jade to depict figures and scenes. Third, one must make fine carvings into the dense material, using wisdom and perseverance to oppose the effects of time. In this way, one preserves a work's artistic inspiration and creative passion. Without this process, one cannot fluidly create art or produce unified aesthetic effect. Master Yuan Jiaqi's jade sculptures are mostly large-scale works of human figures within a landscape. They all have a poetic and painterly artistic mood, rooted in his notion of man's unity with heaven. They have a vivid energy and charm, excelling in both style and spirit. He started out at the forefront of the academicist style of jade carving, using a Chinese energy and Eastern charm to elevate the aesthetic value and status of the art form. Looking closely at the Master's craftsmanship, we are inspired by the many facets of his aesthetic practice. First is the skillful and meaningful way he uses line to carve human figures. Regardless of whether it's a single figure or a 20-30 person group composition, his lines are always fluid and elegant, and his organization fine, extracting the natural characteristics of his subjects while embodying or implying their appearance, skeletal structure, manner, and temperament. He incorporates a profound sense of three-dimensionality, making his figures lively and perfect, as if they could come alive. Second is his skill in creating scenes and ambience for his thematic constructions. The vast ocean becomes Cao Cao looking over the deep blue sea, a flapping battle banner becomes Yue Fei in Man Jiang Hong-each one perfectly complements the central theme. Third is his appropriate use of poetic mood and exaggerated form. The prominent figures of the Black Heavenly Emperor, Guanyin, and Sakyamuni Buddha; Guanyin and Samantabhadra, their clothes lifting softly in the wind, their demeanors multifarious; Da A Fu toddler figurines, with their palpably naïve and innocent expressions-all these works deploy poetic exaggerations of form to enliven their energy and charm. Fourth is his clever use of material elements to strengthen the thematic meanings of his works: the fiery halo of Buddha's Grace Illuminates All, the earthen staining of Dazzling Yellow Earth, the hazy yellow surface of Ballad of the Yellow River. Each of these deploys a naturalistic mood. Jade carvings can be just like painting masterworks: vivid in energy and charm, replete with both style and spirit. The Master is interested in exploring and transcending our understanding of jade's aesthetic value.
Multifaceted Imagery Poetry and Painting in Jade Sculpture
The Textural Universe Poetic Gardens
The Artistic Conception of Chan Buddhism Consummate Beauty
Vivid Energy and Charm Style and Spirit
Endowing Form, Molding the Soul The Heavenly Mystery of Jade's Destiny
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