Chinese Culture Exchange UK

Chinese Brush painting is a unique method of painting. Although it is similar to western water colours in the type of paint used, the method is very different. Indeed the paint itself is slightly different to that used in the west. The painting techniques include blotting, resist, paper wrinkling, washes and splash techniques.

Chinese brush painting uses stylised strokes and economy of movement. Sometimes the spaces in the picture are equally important to the whole composition. Originating from ancient tomb paintings and then silk funeral banners, Chinese painting has evolved into scroll mounted work,which was easier to store when rolled and tied. However as these scrolls have proved difficult to exhibit, modern artists now take a more practical approach  to framing their work. Records show that brush and ink were used as long ago as the 1st Century BC, during the Han Dynasty. There is a close connection between Calligraphy and painting and it is usual for a painting to include a poem, or the name of the painter, the date and the collector's name.

Early paintings were mostly figure work but during the Six Dynasties period (317 -420 AD) the Daoists began to favour landscapes. Here sages and emperors represented heaven whilst landscapes depicted earth. Flowers and birds gave the link with mankind. By the 10th century subject matter had changed to scenes depicting court life. During the Song dynasty (1127 AD) the court moved south and landscape painting changed to reflect the gentler geography of the region. Today the most popular subject matter is nature, flowers, animals and scenery. Some portrait painting is done but with the type of paint and ink is very difficult to use in this way. Most amatures can manage to paint bamboo after a little practice and this makes brush painting a soothing and relaxing pastime everyone can enjoy.

The four "treasures"are the brush, paper, ink stick and the rubbing stone.

Master Xu Pei Chen 徐培晨 from Nanjing is pictured above during one of our visits to China. He is nicknamed "Monkey King" as he likes to specialise in paintings which feature monkeys: monkeys in the snow, with plum blossoms, monkeys in the trees. Whilst we were there he painted an entire picture for us so that we could learn how the picture was built up and the painting techniques that he used.

The Chinese Brush Painting Society (Yorkshire) holds regular work shops and invites painters from China to teach/demonstrate .

They can be contacted via email  on mail@cbpsyorks.co.uk

Their website is www.cbpsyorks.co.uk