12.07 - 01.02
至境
To the Realm of Infinity
WU Kuan-Te
Solo Exhibition
To be silent, one can blend in with the universe. By the creation of arts , throughout all living things ,one can forget the realm of creation…
As I faithfully face the empty canvas, images of nature slowly emerge through my meditations, and these ideas are injected into each brush stroke and etching, allowing my fantasy to unravel freely and gradually.
Every element in the picture is independent yet reliant on each other, like every minute speck of life in nature, a blade of grass, a massive tree, a gentle breeze, a puff of clouds, a wave and other seemingly insignificant existences, yet they pull on the very breathe of the universe. After repeated processes, one can finally get rid of self, and enter a plane of existence created within the heart to extract a natural form in its poetic and simplest essence.
Like a seed dropped onto the canvas, rooting with the arrival of rain, germinating and growing into a tree. The tree flowered, fruited and seeded, and they grew to be a forest as every raindrop gathered into a river, flowing amongst the hills and mountains within us, climbing to great heights and rushing down in a torrent.
The natural landscape in our body is calm and relaxed, at one with the way and a reflection of our selves. I wish to access the breath within my chest and resonate with the pulsating breath of nature to unite the bodies of nature within and without myself to encompass the essence of heavens and earth into a saturated yet fulfilling “space”.
In this chaotic maelstrom where it is difficult to differentiate between the self and its surroundings, the spirit of freedom blinks and shifts in and out of existence.
WU Kuan-Te (b.1979) graduated from the Fine Arts Institute of Taiwan Normal University, and has lived in France for several years starting in 2011. He puts Action Painting into practice and mixes in aspects of profound oriental philosophies.
He draws inspiration from his rich life experiences and keen observations of Mother Nature, revealing the sense of peace and tranquility he has found in the vastness of the natural world.
In an almost ritualistic meditation before the blank canvas, Wu Kuan-Te replaces the brush and executes the ‘subtractive’ oil painting techniques— as opposed to the traditional norm of additive oil painting — by scratching away paint with found objects such as branches, stones and seeds, gesturing with the entirety of his body, mind and emotion unto each mark.
The artist allows his imagination to take its course freely, allowing his work to organically grow and develop. The elements in the painting are independent yet they intertwine with each other, just like every living thing in the universe — a blade of grass, a big tree, a breeze, a cloud, a ripple.
Through the process of repetitive mark-making, Wu Kuan-Te enters an introspective state, reflecting pure imageries of nature in his strokes. It’s as if a seed has fallen onto the canvas, and blossoms exuberantly. The paintings expand naturally and freely, establishing a free-spirited essence.
To quote Chinese philosopher Zhuangzi, All existing things are really one. The artist believes everything is ultimately connected, and is a part of a bigger picture, and these components are sometimes contradictions that are able to somehow coexist perfectly.
In recent times, the artist has been invited to exhibit in diverse locations, such as the United States, France, Italy, Australia, Japan and Singapore, and has participated in international art fairs such as Korea, Malaysia, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Shenzhen. He has exhibited more than 50 times at the Taiwan History Museum, the Taiwan Art Museum, the Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts, the Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall, the National Institute of Education, and the Chi Mei Museum.
In recent years, his works have won numerous awards and are widely displayed in famous hotels at home and abroad, construction project galleries, enterprises and both private and national collections.
