#Artist Xuan Chen

[perhaps-in-anotherdream]

Hello Anika! I've noticed that another CN otome game "Lovebrush Chronicle" is being localized in English. What are your thoughts on the story, and is there a ML in the game similar to Victor?

I want to hear your thought because I think you have a good eye on judging a story ❤️ Sorry if this ask seems to be out of nowhere!

hello!!! thank you haha~ ಡ⁠ ͜⁠ ಡ yes, the game’s original name is 时空中的绘旅人, also known as For All Time. It’s one of the 4 big CN otoges (the other three: Light and Night, Love and Producer/ MLQC, and Tears of Themis).

idk why they had to change the name smh but then again i can see why too LOL, but if you’re gonna change the character names, change for all of them why change just two?? especially since Emerald’s name is explained precisely so aksjsjs i’m so salty rn lmao

uh about the storyline, i had to try hard to not be lured into yet another game lmao (eyeing L&N akshdhd), so i haven’t actually played the game personally after CBT LOL nor do i keep up with its contents that much, so my knowledge regarding the story and the characters isn’t deep and is limited haha. also, since the premise begins in the AU world + with some other factors, i kinda lost my interest to even begin with LOL.

here’s a brief introduction for you though—

the game’s setting is the AU world ahah, and it also has personal routes. it has battle systems for leveling up your profile / raising cards. i heard it can be pretty grindy, but since i haven’t continued playing it, i can’t comment on that :>

✦ The Heroine:

she is an art student / comic artist in the modern world, but one day she gets sucked into a different AU world while watching her friend’s performance. (she’s so pretty tho u.u)

✦ Ai Yin/ Ayn:

19 years old, goes to the same school as the heroine and a pianist in the modern world. He’s a prince in the AU world, focused on his revenge.

✦ Lu Chen/ Alkaid:

20 years old, a transfer student, the heroine’s senior in a different study (Astronomy), photographer. In the AU world, he’s a mage/ high level priest.

✦ Lu Xia/ Rorschach (re-named as Lars for EN):

27 years old, the heir of a wealthy family, CEO, flirty af. In the AU world, he’s an aggressive and headstrong king.

(if you’re into the “CEO trope”, he could be your pick LOL. but if you’re looking for similarities that actually matter— then aside from just the CEO title and maybe that body lmfao, Victor and him share no other similarities hahaha)

✦ Si Lan/ Clarence:

22 years old, goes to the same school as the heroine and is the student president. He is the head highest priest/ mage in the AU world.

✦ Ye Xuan/ Emerald (re-named as Cael for EN):

An art instructor, took the heroine under his wings, gentle in nature sus lmao. In the AU world, he is the silver knight and leading the revolution.

—

Over all, from what I’ve seen, the story is pretty good, has the intrigue elements for sure. Also plus point, in every AU/ arch you get a common part and then you can choose your love interest to progress for the rest of the story. what it does here is that unlike Lovepro/MLQC + Light and Night main story, where the story itself is very character-driven, you need to shut your brain and consider the MC that specific love interest’s heroine for the allocated segment- or else given the extreme lengths she goes for them/ the said borderline intimacy certainly don’t cut for “just friends” tag LOL. So, if you’re someone who self-inserts (consciously or not) and perhaps is a little uncomfortable with that kind of storytelling, For All Time/ Lovebrush Chronicles is certainly one you can give a try.

For me personally, the writing pattern didn’t seem like my cup of tea + I prefer the storytelling pattern of Lovepro and L&N (singular main story + parallel dates) haha. But hey, we all have different tastes, so be sure to give it a chance if you’re interested. Who knows, you could end up with completely different viewpoints than me! (⁠*⁠´⁠∀⁠｀⁠*⁠)

—

[19silvermirrors]

totally fan-casting He Xuan here | portrait practice day 14

[kukuandkookie]

Inktober Day 25: Tasty + Promises 🥮 I like these two a lot too, along with the main couple. I wish we could’ve gotten more of them! I don’t think I’ll ever get off my hobby horse of mentioning how Jin Zixuan is like Fitzwilliam Darcy (rich, spoiled man reforms himself for the woman he loves), so I repurposed Darcy’s line here as the “promise,” a prompt from @lansizhuis. The “tasty” theme is referring to Jiang Yanli’s famous soup. 🍲

Also I was trying to emphasize how this is the first real time they’re not calling each other “Jiang-guniang” or “Jin-gongzi.” xP

[teresa-ahern-blog]

Artist Xuan Chen

[glitteryrebelexpert]

Chen Zizhuang

The general order of painting mountains is to draw after dyeing, or you can dye and paint first. The latter is a floral painting method, which I used to paint landscapes.

In the landscape painting, the lines of the painting house are all calligraphy. How can you paint a house without a shackle?

[rainbowsky]

Just wanted to fact check if you or any of your followers happened to know the answer! So while it has been confirmed that GG and DD had each other added on Weibo prior to filming, is there any confirmation that DD had added any other X Nine members added at the same time? Or was it only XZ? I think that would be very telling 👀

Hi, Anon, there’s a lot of info here so I’ve put it under a cut.

First of all, are you talking about Weibo or Wechat? There are many rumors about GG and DD becoming connected on WeChat right after the XNINE DDU episode in 2017 - long before filming. I wrote about that a while back.

In terms of Weibo, he started following GG in April 2018, around the same time he began following other CQL actors at the beginning of filming. He does follow one other XNINE member, Yan Xujia, but as far as I can tell he didn’t start following him until 2019.

But you did make me curious to see who all DD follows on Weibo. Complete list follows.

DISCLAIMER: this is a very rough list. I’ve pulled together little tidbits of information about each person and their connection to DD, and anything I personally remember about some of them, but it’s just a casual list and not by any means a definitive reference for all these relationships. If anyone has additional information that might help clarify the relationships on this list, let me know.

Wang Zheng - Actor

Han Hong - Singer

Zhao Xuan - Actor Being A Hero

Fu Dongyu - Director of Being A Hero

YIBO-OFFICIAL

Zhang Yuqi - Actor Being A Hero, Oath of Love

Chen Xiao - Actor Being A Hero

Tang Lu Jing - Actor Being A Hero

Fan Chengcheng - Actor, singer, brother of Fan Bingbing

Wang Jinsong - Actor Being a Hero

Sun Jian - Actor LOF, Luoyang, Faith Makes Great

Zhang Huiwenwen - Actor and director

Zhou Jieqiong - Singer and actor LOF

Zhang Xinyu - Actor LOF

Chen Ruoxuan - Actor LOF, Faith Makes Great

Leng Ji Yuan - Actor LOF

Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics Offical Weibo

Liu Qian - Taiwanese magician

Xu Zheng - Director, actor, screenwriter, producer, DD sang the song "Mom" for one of his films

Xie Wenkai - Pro skateboarder, Team China

Zhao Liying - Actor LOF

Oasis Official Weibo

China Fire - Official Weibo of the Fire Rescue Bureau of the Ministry of Emergency Management

Sun Honglei - Actor

Paco Tangier - Magazine publisher

Xiaoli - Executive Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Harper's Bazaar

Chen Jialin - CQL director

Douyin Official Weibo

Li Zong - China superbike championship driver

Bian Jiang - Lan Wangji voice actor

Xia Yu - Actor

SINA Entertainment Offical Weibo

Xu Minghao - SEVENTEEN member, has appeared on DDU

Angelica Zhang Yu - Former Editor-in-Chief of VOGUE Magazine

Lele Yang - Wang Han's wife

People's Daily Offical Weibo

F1 World Championship Offical Weibo

Elvis-Konishi - CEO of Yue Motor (Beijing) Racing Promotion Co., Ltd.

VOGUEplus Offical Weibo

DAINESE China - Motorcycle clothing company

Li Zhengpeng - Yamaha team driver

Yan Yuhao - Actor Gank Your Heart

Yan Xujia - XNine member

Wang Zixuan - Actor Gank Your Heart

Zeng Yijun - Actor Gank Your Heart

Yan Haoyuan - Actor Gank Your Heart

Ding Guansen - Actor, Gank Your Heart

Weibo Member Customer Service

Song Zuer - Actor, has appeared on DDU

League of Legends Official Weibo

Gao Bo - Founder of Keep On Dancing China

Official Weibo of Wanlida Yamaha Team

Weibo Member Official Weibo

Yamaha China Offical Weibo

Happy Camp Offical Weibo

Hu Xia - Singer, actor, has appreared on DDU

Meng Ziyi - CQL actor - Wen Qing

Long Zijia - Jewelry designer

Xuan Lu - CQL actor - Jiang Yanli

Yamy - Singer, Produce 101, has appeared on DDU

Wu Xuanyi - Singer, Produce 101, has appeared on DDU

Lui Yanchen - Singer, has appeared on DDU

Yueyue - Singer

Cheng Xiao - Singer, actor, Yuehua artist

KWIN - Singer, has appeared on DDU

DIDI - Singer, has appeared on DDU

Fan Toutiao - News and information platform

RNGLetme - Chinese pro gamer

UziQAQ - Chinese pro gamer

RNGMing - Chinese pro gamer

Cai Xukun - Singer, songwriter, rapper, has appeared on DDU

Liu Haikuan - CQL actor - Lan Xichen

Wang Zhuocheng - CQL actor - Jiang Cheng

Fan Bingbing - Actor

Yubin - CQL actor - Wen Ning

Xiao Zhan - Husband

Zhang Jie - Host, Produce 101

Hu Yanbin - Host, Produce 101

Ella Chen - Host, Produce 101

Huang Zitao - Singer EXO, host of Produce 101

Du Haitao - Host, Happy Camp

Zeng Shunxi - Singer and actor, has appeared on DDU

Neo Hou - Singer, actor, Faith Makes Great, has appeared on DDU

Yijia Photography Studio

Shen Xin - Producer, DDU

Wang Mengli - Actor, My Strange Friend

Zhang Nan - Actor, My Strange Friend

Xiao Xu - Actor, My Strange Friend

Xing Xiao - Director, My Strange Friend

Lou Yi Xiao - Actor

Extraordinary Talent Official Weibo

Lensborough - Design blogger and photographer

He Jiong - Host, Happy Camp

Tian Tian - Motorcycle racer

Mike Angelo - Singer, actor, has appeared on DDU

Ruixi Erin - Author

Motorcycle Magazine Offical Weibo

Riley King - Actor, singer, starred in Private Shushan Academy with DD

Chen Yu Qi - Actor, starred in Private Shushan Academy with DD

Pei Zitian - Actor, starred in Private Shushan Academy with DD

Guan Xiao Tong - Actor, singer, recorded "A Little Happiness" with DD in 2017

Private Shushan Academy Offical Weibo

Hua Chenyu - Singer, musician (I am a big fan) has appeared on DDU

Yin Zheng - Good friend of DD, got him into motorcycle racing

Weibo Video Official Weibo

Da Zhangwei - Needs no introduction - former DDU brother

Ashin - Singer/songwriter, author, founder of clothing line StayReal

Chen Mingzhang - Director, Love Actually

Tong Dawei - Actor, Love Actually

Love Actually Offical Weibo

Joe Chen - Actor, Love Actually

Qiu Jirong - Dancer, choreographer, Beijing opera actor

Zhang Yixing - Needs no introduction, long time friend and colleague

Han Han - Multi-talented blogger, author, racing driver, singer, music producer

Jung Yong Hwa - Korean singer, songwriter, producer and actor

Hwang Chi Yeul - Korean singer and TV show host

Peng Yuchang - Actor, singer, Produce 101 guest - famously performed a fake kissing scene with DD on a Chinese talk show

Kim Eun-sung - Korean singer and actor, former DDU brother

Qian Feng - Needs no introduction - former DDU brother

TTXS Offical Weibo

Xu Hao - Actor, famously called DD sexually frigid in a variety show appearance

Ryan Zhu - Actor, has appeared on DDU

Zhang Yijie - Actor, My Strange Friend

Hanch Brothers - K-pop duo

Kim Dong Suk - Korean model and actor

Liu Qiang - Chairman of Blue Phoenix Culture Development Co., Ltd.

Du Hua - CEO of Yuehua

Xie Nan - Actor and TV host

Zhang Chao - Singer and actor

Zhang Yao - Actor, Yuehua artist

Han Geng - Actor, singer, SDOC captain, Yuehua artist

Liu Zhenwei - Director, A Chinese Odyssey part three

Yao Chen - Actor, MBA Partners - DD's first onscreen kiss

Li Wenhan - Uniq brother and 'childhood sweetheart'

Zhou Yixuan - Uniq brother

Woodz - Uniq brother (and one of my fave boys)

Kim Sungjoo - Uniq brother

UNIQ_OFFICIAL

And before anyone asks me to do the same list for GG, maybe one day, but not today! This took me hours to pull together, and GG follows a lot more people than DD does. 😅

[tomorrowsdrama]

2020 Year in Thirst Pt. 2

Sometimes, I will watch a drama for the plot/premise/substance and be rewarded with a surprise hottie, and it’s the best feeling ever!  It’s like finding money in your pocket that you didn’t know about.  The following list of dramas can be described as:

Came for the plot, was rewarded with a surprising side of thirst

1. Flower of Evil

Brief Summary: Lee Jun Ki plays Baek Hee Sung and Moon Chae Won plays Cha Ji Won, his wife who is also a detective.  What Ji Won doesn’t know is that her husband, Hee Sung, is actually Hyun Soo, a man on the run from a murder that he did not commit and also a suspected accomplice to a series of murders committed by his father in the past.  Oh yeah, his dad secretly tried to groom him into being his protege/murder partner.  Because of how he was raised, HS believes that he has no emotions and is simply putting on an act as the perfect husband and father.  His “parents” are in on the ruse and are actually the ones who forced him into assuming their comatose son’s identity.  Anyway, of course things from the past start to catch up with HS and his wife is somehow assigned to investigating his old murder case.  She of course feels betrayed, but also conflicted as she discovers her husband is not who he said he was and a prime murder suspect.  Things get even more complicated as the real murderer re-appears with fabulous long hair and tries to frame HS for the murders.  In between all of this are delicious make outs between the couple and at least one instance where they banged so hard, HS was wiped out the next morning.

Surprise Thirst Factor: I checked out this drama fully expecting to drop it because the promos were so misleading and unappealing. But boy was I in for a pleasant surprise!  Not only was the drama super addicting, it also had some nice eye candy in the form of Lee Jun Ki being a completely unrealistic house husband who satisfies in the housework (The man cooks and does the laundry!), childcare, and bedroom and Kim Ji Hoon’s glorious mane of beauty making viewers have a moral crisis over lusting after a homicidal maniac (who turned out to be a real loser without murder daddy around to clean up his mess.  It’s ok, we’ll always have his hair).

Yes, work that hair honey.  It’s the only good thing you’ve got going on for you (the character, not Kim Ji Hoon)

The chemistry between Lee Jun Ki and Moon Chae Won was fire and the make out scenes were soo believable.  Like yes, these two beautiful people are really into being married to each other and understandably want to make out all the time. 

He’s the primary caretaker for their daughter and it’s just *swoons.*  Not all thirst traps come in the form of sexy abs (although I would not mind if he wanted to flash some).

2. Six Flying Dragons

Brief Summary: The story of young Yi Bang Won (who later becomes King Taejong) and the founding of the Joseon Dynasty.  As short as it sounds, that really is an accurate summary of the drama haha.

Surprise Thirst Factor: I started watching this drama because I heard it was a great sageuk and I’m a big fan of Yoo Ah In.  Even though I’m a fan of his acting, Yoo Ah In doesn’t necessarily get my hormones raging so I wasn’t expecting to be so thirsty while watching Six Flying Dragons.  But then.  BUT THEN.  Byun Yo Han showed up in all his scruffy tortured deadly killer glory and my hormones woke up and said hi, hello, who are you, what’s your name, what’s your sign, can I get your number?  The deadlier and more tortured his character got, the sexier he became to me.  Sorry Yoo Ah In, you’ll always be my acting boo, but Byun Yo Han’s got my thirst.  Byun Yo Han looks so good when he's sad and/or covered in blood, it makes me feel like a sadist for thinking that I wouldn’t mind if the drama made his character cry some more.

3. Ever Night S1

Brief Summary: As a child, Ning Que witnessed his entire household get massacred because of a prophecy that the child of Hades will be born from the house and bring about the Eternal Night.  Somehow, he managed to escape and was the lone survivor.  He finds a baby buried in a pile of dead bodies as he’s fleeing and names her Sang Sang.  The two orphans grow up inseparable from each other and do whatever it takes to survive in the harsh, cruel world.  Ning Que earns money by becoming a deadly mercenary and Sang Sang takes care of the household affairs.  At one point, Ning Que becomes a disciple of the powerful Fu Zi and somehow gets entangled in the struggles between the Holy Sect and Demon Sect.  A bunch of beautiful women fall for Ning Que, and the drama tries its hardest to convince us that he has chemistry with and reciprocates the feelings of one of them (i.e. Mo Shan Shan), but anybody who was even half paying attention knows that the only one for Ning Que is Sang Sang.  They are the OTP of all OTPs and take “ride or die” to a whole other level. Oh also, their height difference is the stuff manga dreams are made of. Ning Que is a “good guy” but also not a “good guy” in the sense that he is not above doing whatever it takes to seek revenge and is only out for himself and Sang Sang (and later, his older brothers and sisters from the academy).

Surprise Thirst Factor: Chen Feiyu is an attractive person but I could not in good conscience thirst after him because he was literally born in the year 2000.  It did not help that he was only 18 when he filmed Ever Night and looked every bit his age.  My thirst may have no shame, but it does have its own set of principles and one of those principles is thou shalt not lust after those born in the new millennium!  Luckily for me, Second Brother is played by Dylan Kuo who is a beautiful, elegant, tall man

and Brother Chao is exactly the type of rugged and manly that I am into.  

(you don’t have to be)

who looks better when wet

AHEM. Yeah.

Sixth Brother is also not so bad with his scanty pounding work attire,

4. Novoland: Eagle Flag

Brief Summary:  Asule is the prince of a tribe in the grasslands who is held as a royal guest (i.e. hostage) in the Eastland Empire.  There he meets his two future best friends, Yu Ran, a free spirited princess who is descended from a race of bird people, and Ji Ye, an emo neglected/shunned son of a concubine who is probably the best fighter in the empire.  Ji Ye loves Yu Ran who is a ball of sunshine to his Johnny Raincloud dark emo self.  Yu Ran loves Ji Ye back.  Asule loves both his friends and will do anything to protect them.  The world decides to fuck over best friends Asule, Ji Ye, and Yu Ran for no reason as they try their best to just live a peaceful life away from all the political scheming and fighting.

Surprise Thirst-worthiness: I was completely content with enjoying Eagle Flag purely for its story and substance.  It’s seriously a wonderful, yet heartbreaking drama and the scale of the production is amazing.  No cheap $10 costumes here.  Also, the direction is beautiful/artistic and not the run of mill “let’s shoot it and complete it as fast as we can.”  The two main actors were cute, but not really my type.  Then the drama decided to give Ji Ye the “Sexy Bloody Tormented Killer Makeover” and all of a sudden your girl was rushing to MDL to check Chen Ruo Xuan’s birthday and calculating his age.  I am simple, predictable, and consistent when it comes to my thirst and give a character some scruff, long hair, angst, and some bloodlust and I’m all yours.  I am literally:

Is it wrong that when Ji Ye showed up looking like this ready to kill his mother’s torturer

I thought, yes, can we have him kill another? 

5. Run On

Brief Summary: Im Siwan plays Ki Seon Geom, a national track runner from a rich family who is a bit of an oddball and marches to his own beat.  Although his words can sometimes be construed as rude since he has no filter, they are also completely honest and have no hidden meaning.  He also has his own personal code that he lives by and he will stick to it no matter how negatively it may impact himself.  He meets Oh Mi Joo, a translator with her own strange quirks and sparks fly as Mi Joo is assigned to be his interpreter.  

Surprise Thirst-worthiness: I kind of watched this drama by accident.  I had read about Im Siwan starring in a new drama but nothing I saw from the description or promos for Run On appealed to me.  Nor did it give me any information about what the drama would be about.  Then one day, I just happened to be browsing Netflix for something to play in the  background and decided on Run on since I thought I wouldn’t be that invested.  What a happy accident that turned out to be because I’m so in love with this drama right now.  This is a case where the thirst does not stem from the character’s physical appearance, but from the intensity/charisma the actor brings to the character and the character himself.  Ki Seon Geom is so odd, but so appealing at the same time and Im Siwan is so magnetic in the role.  Prior to Run On, Im Siwan wasn’t really my type physically.  In fact, I always scratched my head whenever people called him handsome in dramas (I know, I know, forgive me).  So color me shocked when I found myself swooning all over Im Siwan in the second episode of Run On.  Now, it’s like I have “Im Siwan is attractive” glasses on and he looks attractive in everything to me.  I want to gobble up all the dramas he’s been in.

[oneoffoddities]

Join @fccs.ubco for the UBC Okanagan Artists Showcase, celebrating Asian Heritage Month @ubc_okanagan . Organized by art historian Hussein Keshani and hosted by visual arts prof Renay Egami, the event takes place on May 26th from 12-2pm. Swipe to see a sneak peek of the images in this presentation. Register: provost.ok.ubc.ca/asian-heritage-month-2021 Artists include: Chloe Chang, 4th year Bachelor of Media Studies student, FCCS Huiyu Chen, 2nd year Masters of Fine Arts student, FCCS Kevin Chong, Assistant Professor, Creative Studies, FCCS Renay Egami, Associate Professor, Visual Arts, Creative Studies, FCCS Aleks Dulic, Associate Professor, Creative Studies, FCCS (in collaboration with Lan Tung, Music Composer) Miles Thorogood, Assistant Professor, Creative Studies, FCCS Jayko Buwell Duan, 3rd year Bachelor of Media Studies student, FCCS Gao Yujie, 3rd year Ph.D. Interdisciplinary Studies student, FCCS Xiao Xuan Huang, 1st year Masters of Fine Arts student, FCCS Manjinder Sidhu, 2nd year Masters of Fine Arts, student, FCCS Meg Yamamoto, 2nd year Doctoral Interdisciplinary Graduate Studies student, FCCS Tony Yu, 4th year Interdisciplinary Performing Arts student, FCCS #ubco #AsianHeritageMonth #vernonartsandculture #culturedoesntstop #ubcoarts #okanaganartists https://www.instagram.com/p/CPGeSCIJkv0/?utm_medium=tumblr

[chromeskiesstuff]

The Killing of Three Thousand Crows Recap EP 1 三千鸦杀

This drama has been a huge blast - I am 8 EPs in and the plot, characters are wonderful and refreshing. The main leads are a hoot themselves, being very hilarious and have their own unique personalities. Props to CGI and costume theme who does their best to make it realistic while in budget, in particularly the costumes feel so natural and pretty.

So just a brief introduction:

This is a Xianxia adaptation from novel of the same name. Xianxia = it involves immortals. Our heroine, Yan Yan, or with her adult/real name Qin Chuan (覃川) is a mortal princess of her country and it has been destroyed by the demon people. Her people are slain and she vowed to kill off each and every demon people to bring peace to her people.

The Male Lead is Jiu Yun (九云), a powerful young immortal who has a crush on her, and he has seen through her ten lives/ previous reincarnation.

We started off with our male lead, Jiu Yun and his friend. His friend ponders why he is sharing with him a drawing by his Shifu/Master and what is it about.

He replied that this was about a war where drums are beating, and bones anre piling up. He also said he didn’t understand the meaning of the drawing for thousand years.

The cinematography is pretty amazing and the narration done by Zhen Ye Cheng (yes our Male lead does his own dubbing along with Zhao Luo Si) is nothing short of haunting. The sequence is written in a semi-classical format, and its a thing of beauty when it combines with great cinematography, great colour combinations, great symbolism (eg drums that reinvigorate a dying party) , great prose and great narration. Look at her red robes flowing in harsh winter while hitting the drums. Maybe I should translate this part later :D

His friend retorted. “It’s normal for mortals to be in war”. He replied "I finally met her yesterday. I have been searching for her for a thousand years” while the screen switch to her facing her enemies alone. 

I presume she didn’t survive. Based on some notes on the novel this was her past life. Anyway I really dig these prologues as of late as its normally shot wonderfully and in a simplistic manner + introduce the whole thing.

The scene switched to an enormous paper bird flying down to a city.

I love the design of the paper bird. Its delicate. Can I have one for a Mercedes?

Our heroine slept at class, slacking off  from learning paper folding spells which is a secret skill of Dali royalty. He also scold her that she have already learn for a year but she knew nothing.Her Shifu challenges her to make ten paper crane. 

She could fight with Bai Qian with tardiness though what Bai Qian did is even more crayy

She defended herself that paper folding spells emphasize on making it freely/casually. Under her shifu threat, she back off, saying she can do it anyway, but instead she made a frog.

The sequence is amazing btw. The CGI is really on point here :D

The paper container too is delightfully designed. Along with the sunscreen panels at the background

The set design and the headdress. Its amazing. Look at the Peach blossom background :D. And I enjoyed her acting a lot. She displays the right amount of mischievousness here :D

Our princess met with her brother and to cheer her up,  her brother shows her a painting he obtained. She said the painting is fine but not worth two to three thousand coins. 

Yeap. It looks like regular drawing even from my POV. But I hope whoever drawing this is not offended T_T (based on TMOPB the artist will normally on set whenever their artwork is shown)

He asks her to look at it carefully. Soon the garden turns into winter, and winter plum blossom starts blooming, and sometime later it turns back to normal. She excitedly asks him where he obtains the painting. He told her he obtained it from the famed painter, Gongzi Qi (公子齐).

Cue hilarity ensured of Gongzi Qi being synonymous with celebrity, full-on with fans dying to have his artwork and to see him,  and her brother the prince being very excited to obtain one. While looking for the artist, a scroll appears on his hand and he looks both happy and confused.

Here’s how he describes Gongzi Qi:

Gongzi Qi, he was rumoured to be extremely handsome, with one of the kind drawing skills. He was rumoured to apply rare immortal spells to his artwork.

She muses that man is too proud. And if Gonzi Qi said his art skills are his second-best skill, then his music skills should be out of the world. Her brother said he wrote a song titled East Wind Peach Blossom Flower .. nope it's half a song not a full song (WTF XD) and he refuses to write the other half, saying that no dancer will be able to dance this song (I see you Gongzi Qi, you are tempting her). Indeed our princess is up to the challenge and asks her brother to request him to finish the song so she can dance to it.

The siblings then visit their cousin, where her brother advises her not to be rude. Apparently their aunt and cousin are attending their mom’s 40th birthday celebration.

After greetings and praises, the two women throwing barbs at each other, we know that Xuan Zhu (玄珠，the cousin) recently start to learn immortal skills under a mysterious teacher. Their barbs become a quarrel, causing their companions to try to rein them in. Yan Yan excuses herself. The quarrel continues as both are tugging a purple handkerchief. 

A man came in. Yan Yan seems to be jealous that this guy (Zuo Zi Chen, 左紫辰) seems to come here to visit Xuan Zhu. He clarifies that he is here on behalf of his father to see her cousins. She instantly brightens up and let him go. 

OK, first crush? And guy seems to be interested.

At the court, the King seems to be really worried about Tian Yuan, as they have usurped three countries around Dali. He is also worried as his prime minister Zuo (Zi Chen dad) applies for retirement at this time due to health. He announces that he will pay a visit to Prime Minister Zuo.

Our Prime Minister seems quite healthy (healthier than the king!!) and performs some ritual that's clearly demonic.

This is performed in front of a satan like figure. That's demonic even in Taoist book right?

Our prince got the sheet music, but with a bet from Gongzi Qi: She must be able to perform it, else he will make her a laughing stock. While visiting the prime minister, she took the opportunity to visit Zi Chen. She blocks him from visiting the king. Instead, she wants him to ask him something on the new music sheet she obtained since he is extremely good with music.

uwuuw the music sheets are so pretty

Zi Chen was amazed since he never saw such complicated tunes. There is a catch though. The verse she pointed out is rather bloody and will cause the audience and the performer to feel very sad, totally inappropriate for a birthday celebration. He answers the way to go is to change the tunes from a sad tone to a happy one.

Girl is clearly enamored with him and his skills. He turned around and ask whether his modified tunes sounds right. She thinks it's great. And she gifted him a hairpin, helping him to wear the new hairpin. She finishes pining the hairpin and touches his face. He reciprocates by grabbing her hand tenderly

OMG I must say this scene is so well done. Very tender, and little words need to be said.

After she left, his father looks for him. He looks anything but friendly. He asks whether he knew the reason the king came. Oh gosh, the prince is way too naive. His father is clearly plotting about something. But he is a young man in the midst of meeting his first love, maybe that's why he didn't catch on the shenanigans.

The Princess is totally unaware of the plot tho, she happily shares her joy with her maid, Aman and hoping for the day Zi Chen will marry her. She also declares that she will be able to conquer the tough music sheets and it will prove Zi Chen's musicality is superior to Gongzi Qi. 

At night Gongzi Qi visited her, leaving her a note. She wakes up and declared again that she will win their bet. Gongzi Qi hears her in the court garden and leaves with a smile.

It seems like the budget is spent on the prince wardrobe. His gear looks very natural and menacing ha. But the candles deco is totally inferior to TMOPB Ye Hua house. Maybe the Demon People are saving the $ for war?

Yan Yan dance is stellar, she interprets the music sheets beautifully, with peach blossoms,snow and leaves. The audience including her brother, Zi Chen, and Gongzi Qi are amazed.

Oh wow the music is wonderful. It reminds me of TMOPB EP30 Peach blossom scene OST - the warm and sweet feel kinda touch. And the dance is shot beautifully. Although I think some of the dance moves are done by a professional dancer? Not a problem imo since one of the most beautiful performances in cdrama history is choreographed by a dancer.

And YESSSS.... his wardrobe is really on point here and the angles the cinematographer take is really good. He is not your conventionally attractive lead so I understand that some angles will not stand out. Kudos to the production team!

The dance ended and Gongzi Qi was shocked that she changed the ending of his sheet music. HA, SO YOU KNOW SHE IS GONNA PERFORM AT HER MUM’S BIRTHDAY BASH PARTY AND YOU WRITE HER A BLOODY TUNE? lmao he is pissed and serves him right XD. And what's wrong with your bestie XD? He seems to have a tendency to pine after a married woman.

They met Shifu who seems to be their ShiXiong (Elder brother disciple). Shifu reminded Gonzi Qi that since he is an immortal, he shouldn’t involve with mortal matters especially when Yan Yan is still very young. Gongzi Qi asks if he insists on doing it? Shifu replied that her fate has been decided and he shouldn’t go against fate. He seems to accept that decree and he hands over a huge scroll of painting, requesting Shifu to pass it to her.

Note: The reason why Shifu is able to involve is that he owes a debt to the Dali Royal family per the book.

At night the city is being attacked, and Yan Yan wakes up feeling happy and refreshed. She saw the painting scroll, both her and her maid marvelled at the painting and she told her maid that she wants to go outside alone to visit Zi Chan.

Meanwhile, Zi Chan father sent his son away “ For praying in the temple. Do request for glory at Royal Court”. His son wonders as his dad will not need it because he is retiring. His dad replies smoothly that it’s for Zi Chan. Zi Chan wanted to pray for his father’s health, and his father praised him lightly, sending him away. Looks like he is sending him away for safety. 

COMMENTS

I have been waiting for this drama for some time, and luckily they are no longer stuck in broadcasting hell. This EP has a lot to unpack, introducing the background and characters. I feel this EP wonderfully introduces multiple characters while making Yan Yan and Zi Chan characters unique. Yan Yan character is sweet while slightly spoiled, she is still very charming herself, and have all the characteristics of a well-loved high born lady. Zi Chan too stands out as the highly ranked son, with his politeness and his crush with Yan Yan being really subtle. Plot-wise it is interesting and hopefully, the revenge plot won’t be too over the top later. The drama is also not afraid to insert some modern jokes (AHEM CELEBRITY ARTIST) while feeling super natural in doing so.

 The magic spells they introduce are fairly unique too (paper magic) which can be quite handy. The brief introduction of paper cranes and paper frogs are delightful. The costumes are delightful too. One of the difficulties of cdrama production is making costumes natural relative to the period and making it beautiful. I love Zi Chan wardrobe here because he looks great in it while not making him too prince-like. Likewise I like that Gongzi Qi wardrobe are slightly more fancier than a normal immortal /Taoist disciple (YEAH HIS WEIRDASS WAYS) but not that fancy.

I think one of the downsides for this drama is the set production. Some of the sets like the snow scene are totally beautiful, while at some parts its so obvious the wood is made of plastic, or the garden looks too tropical. That being said I understand cdrama fantasy budgets are tight + high likelihood of delayed broadcasting, so these downsides are relatively minor, plus the cinematography team is killing it, so I think in overall any fan of xianxia should watch it.

[bookofjin]

Could you tell me about Deng Xia? The pixiv artist I showed you a while back really likes to include him in his Huan Wen arts (along with Xie Xuan, Zhu Xu, Chi Chao and Huan Chong) but I can't find much info about Deng that's appealing enough for him to be let alone mentioned

Deng Xia was the son of the Eastern Jin general and official Deng Yue, originally from Chen commandery. He has a tiny biography attached to that of his father in JS081, he is also mentioned in some excerpts of now lost texts. Since there is a lot of overlap between the different fragments, I have edited them together:

A basic biography from JS081, Fu Tao (c. 317 – 396): The Famous among the Grand Marshal's Staff and Functionaries, Xu Guang's (352 – 425) Annals of Jin, and Sheng Hongzhi (5th century) Annals of Jingzhou:

Deng Xia, courtesy name Yingyuan, was a native of Chen commandery, he was the son of the General who Pacifies the South, Yue. His bravery and strength surpassed other people, his vigour overshadowed the time period. At the time people compared him to Fan Kuai. Huan Wen used him as Army Advisor, and he several times accompanied Wen's campaigns and attacks. He was successively General of the Best of the Army and Grand Warden of Jingling, and was noted as a famous general.

At the service of Fangtou, Wen was ashamed and furious in his breast, and moreover feared and dreaded Xia's bravery and resoluteness, and because of that dismissed Xia from office. Soon after he passed on from illness. In the middle of Ningkang [373 – 375], he was posthumously conferred Grand Warden of Luling.

According to JS008, Annals of Emperor Ai, he took part in operations around Luoyang in 362 after that place came under attack from Murong Wei's general Lü Hu:

5th Month, dingsi [5 July 362], dispatched the Commander of the Palace Gentlemen of the North, Yu Yi, and the Grand Warden of Jingling, Deng Xia, to use a naval host to rescue Luoyang.

Autumn, 7th Month [7 August – 4 September], Lü Hu and others withdrew to defend Xiaoping ford. … Deng Xia advanced to garrison Xincheng. Yu Yi’s section commander He Qian fought with Murong Wei’s general Liu Ze at Tanqiu, routing him.

JS008, Annals of the Duke of Haixi, adds a detail from the Fangtou campaign in 369:

9th Month, wuyin [17 October 369], Huan Wen’s assistant generals Deng Xia and Zhu Xu met Wei’s general Fu Mobo at Linzhu, also greatly routing him.

On wuzi [27 October], Wen arrived at Fangtou.

Deng Xia probably participated in more campaigns than this, but no records survive.

The Shishuo xinyou tells this anecdote:

After Deng of Jingling had been dismissed from office, he went to the imperial tombs. Passing by he saw the Grand Marshal, Excellency Huan. His Excellency asked him, saying: “Sir, why are you so much thinner?” Deng said: “For being ashamed before Shuda, [I am] not able to not regret the broken pot”

(Meng Min, courtesy name Shuda, lived during Eastern Han. Once, when the pot he was carrying fell to the ground, he continued walking without looking back. Asked about, he answered: “The pot is broken. What is the point of looking at it?”)

JS081 and the Annals of Jingzhou also tells this story:

North of Xiangyang City, at an inlet of the Mian River there is a pool which is extremely deep, previously it had an evil dragon(蛟) which was often harmful to people. Deng Xia was Grand Warden of Xiangyang, he was vigorous and resolute. He pulled out his sword and entered the river. The dragon coiled around his feet, Xia brandished his sword and cut the dragon into several pieces, and then came out. The flowing blood coloured the water cinnabar. His bravery was ahead of the times, since then there were no troubles with dragons.

Liu Jingsheng's (5th century) Garden of the Strange has a variant of the same:

In Jing province, on the banks of the Mingjiang, there often was an evil dragon killing people, the deaths among those who were washing or drawing water were not separated by a year. In the middle of the Shengping era [357 – 361], Chen commandery's Deng Xia, courtesy name Yingyan, was Grand Warden, he was habitually brave and strong. He was furious and entered the river to seek out the dragon, and managed easily to fist-fight with it. He then pulled and brought it forth to the bank, and wished to lop off and kill it. His mother told him: “A dragon is really a divine creature, better not to kill it [*] . Now [you] can make an incantation, now it will not again be harmful.” Xia made an incantation and released it. From then until the present has passed without this trouble.

* Text actually reads “better to swiftly kill it” 寧忽殺之, but from context seems best to emend to 寧勿殺之

[shaukeiwan]

DIAL 62761232: PORTABLE EXHIBITION

Time: September 10th to 20th, 2004

Co-Curator: Yang Zhenzhong, Tang Maohong, Jin Feng, Huang Kui, Xu Zhen Organizer: Bizart Art Center Co-organizer: Oriental Morning Post, Shanghai Lin Yang Courier Company

62761232 is the telephone number for a courier in Shanghai. From the 10th to the 20th, 10:00 am to 10:00 pm, no matter where you are in the city you will be able to have an exhibition brought directly to you. The exhibition is curated by a team of artists from Shanghai and will collect artworks from 40 artists from all around China.

What is the position of contemporary art in Shanghai? In this landscape of economic and social changes, contemporary art is under a continuum of change. With this unusual art event, we break the common exhibition mode and will address a common problem the public faces when confronting an exhibition.

This “portable” show was made possible with the assistance of thirteen messengers, who worked for a local messenger service, equipped with bicycles and scooters. Preparing these young messengers was the most interesting part of this exhibition/performance piece: for months they were taught how to do a performance, explain a conceptual work and exhibit and comment on contemporary artworks for the benefit of their future audiences.

The messenger who delivered his or her exhibition package took on the role of guide to the event. The artworks were delivered in a random order: a sack containing the numbers corresponding to the forty works on display was given to the customer/visitor, whose exploration of the exhibition thus unfolded randomly as well, and somewhat ritualistically.

Participating Artists: Shao Yi, Yang Qingqing, Fei Pingguo, Liu Jianhua, Jiang Zhi, Yang Fudong, Hu Jieming, Ding Yi, Mao Dou, Fan Mingzhu, Lao Mao, Chen Shaoxiong, Zheng Guogu, Liu Wei, He An, Zhu Yu, Chen Xiaoyun, Fei Dawei, Geng Jianyi, Xiang Liqing, Zhang Ding, Xu Tan, Liu Weijian, Zhou Tao, Lao Jinfeng, Yu Ji, Ba Zhennong, Jin Jiangbo, Zhang Qing, Wang Xingwei, Ni Jun, Song Tao, Zhou Zixi, Jia Bu, Shi Yong, Shi Qing, Kan Xuan, Zhou Xiaohu, Davide Quadrio

[acesgroupchat]

So there are many many things that I dearly love about Nirvana in Fire (the costumes, the hair design, the acting, the sets, the characters, etc.), but one of the things I love the most is this:

I’ve seen/read a fair number of political court intrigue stories, and especially lately I feel like we’ve fallen into this aesthetic where Smart and Evil is the preferred ruler archetype. Moral people are on some level seen as deficient because... maybe they won’t go as far? We see over and over again the idea that an effective ruler trusts no one and is absolutely ruthless, and sometimes that straightforward morals are actually a detriment to strong sovereignty. Moral people might be well thought of, but they also die shockingly quickly (I’m thinking of Ned Stark here, I will not lie).

Nirvana in Fire presents possibly the most effective counterargument to this that I have ever seen. We see that Jingyan, who at the start is treated as an objectively poor choice for a run at the throne, grow into an unstoppable force in court. Because he’s honest and hardworking and genuinely cares about his subjects, he’s able to accomplish important things while his brothers get caught up in faction infighting. He learns to play the game a little, and as a result he builds a powerful and effective government. He never loses his essential qualities. He’s honest and outspoken and stubborn to a fault, but he is still able to run the court more effectively than his father, and amass so much loyalty that by the end of the show he wields more power than the Emperor. 

On the other side of this we have Xiao Xuan. The Emperor is that cunning, mistrustful person. He watches carefully to be sure that no one gains enough power to challenge him. He trusts no one. This might, in a less thoughtful show, be treated as a strength, but it’s actually his greatest weakness. Because he trusts no one, he is shockingly easy to manipulate. The Chiyan conspiracy was put together with basically no evidence, but it was enough to turn the court upside down, and cost the Emperor his son and heir, Consort Chen, Lin Xie, Lin Shu, and the Chiyan army, along with a whole bunch of ministers and other people. To say nothing of the tragedy, this is a HUGE loss to the emperor’s power base. The Chiyan army was apparently both loyal and capable of taking on an army over twice their size and winning. The Lins were loyal and powerful allies. Prince Qi basically ran the court and ran it well. Losing him plunged the court into thirteen years of intense factionalism and infighting. Xia Jiang and Xie Yu were able to do all of that with a forged note. A more generally trusting emperor would not have been vulnerable in this way. 

During the course of the series people also frequently play on the Emperor’s paranoia to serve their own ends. Things that are attributed to faction fighting don’t get dealt with properly because he cares more about maintaining his power base than about actual governance. This loses him the respect of pretty much all the competent people in the government. Because his court runs on factionalism, the only people who can succeed or even survive are those who are willing to participate in seriously amoral politicking, or those who had that as their end goal all along. As a result, there is NO ONE close to the emperor who is trustworthy or even remotely interested in actual governance. Mei Changsu was willing to dive into that and get his hands dirty because he believed in Jingyan that much, but both he and Jingyan were horrified and disgusted by the things he had to do to make that work. For a less ludicrously ambitious agenda, playing the game at that level isn’t worth the risk or the moral cost, so good people self-selected out. This is COSTLY to the court not only in terms of trustworthy people but also in terms of raw talent.

Case(s) in point: The Yans and Jingrui. These are three genuinely pretty remarkable people. Jingrui is an at least competent scholar and superlative martial artist. Yujin has incredible people skills that make him a force to be reckoned with in the capital. He hides it well, but lets not forget he’s one of the people Mei Changsu asked for help in the final phases of his plan. Marquis Yan is a legend in his own time. A diplomat so skilled he turned away an army ALONE. They are also members of the royal family, the emperor’s brother-in-law and nephews. By rights they should be major assets of the court. Instead all three of them are as far from politics as they can be. Jingrui spends huge chunks of his time wandering in the jianghu. Yujin hides behind hedonism, and makes damn sure he’s underestimated by everyone. Marquis Yan abdicated his entire life and all of his responsibilities to hide in the mountains. These are HUGE losses to the court, and these are only the most obvious ones. And these people come out in force for Jingyan. By the end of the show you can really believe that he has not only the skills but also the resources to run a truly effective government

I love this show for SO many reasons. It’s just astoundingly good in so many ways. But in particular I love it for stating and demonstrating SO CLEARLY that a paranoid, machiavellian government is not only less moral, but also less effective than an honest, ingenuous government.

(now with part 2)

[muskming]

“九龍圖卷 Nine Dragons” (1244, handscroll painting, Ink and color on Xuan paper, 46.3 cm × 1496.4 cm) by Chinese artist 陳容 Chen Rong  

[glitteryrebelexpert]

800 × 3294 Chen Zizhuang - Plum Blossom

[vm4vm0]

簡一瓷磚 - 修補愛情有限公司 from Gavin Yin / 尹國賢 on Vimeo.

Client 客戶: 簡一瓷磚 Agency 代理商: 意類廣告

Credits: Director: Gavin Yin 導演: 尹國賢 Assistant Director 副導: 小八

Production 製作公司: 淘淘影像製作有限公司 Executive Producer 監製: 曾宥焌, 阿峰 Producer 製片: 莊惟凱, 阿樂 Line Producer 執行製片: 劉韶恩 Location Manager 場地經理: 張國展, 李家銘 Director of Photography 攝影: 梁子 Camera Assistant 攝影助理: 林建安 Camera Team 攝影組: 新彩team Gaffer 燈光: 宋明哲 Best Boy 燈光助理: 明哲team Camera Equipment 攝影器材: 新彩廣告事業股份有限公司 Lighting Equipment 燈光器材: 鴻臣實業股份有限公司 Production Design: Gee art design studio 雞設士工作室 Art Director 美術: Chicken Rice 雞肉飯 (蕭仁傑) Set Decorator 陳設: Johnny Chen 陳熹弘, YI Xuan Tzeng 曾怡瑄 Set Decorator Assistant 陳設助理: Ming Cheng Tseng 曾名正 Construction Manager: Yueh Chiu 邱粵 Graphic Designer: Meerkat Chou 周庭羽 Scenic: Frank Scenic Art Company 法蘭克質感創作有限公司 Best Boy Grip: Weisson Studio 緯盛工作室 Special Props: 拼拼藝術工作室 Interns: 沈姵蓉 Anila Shen, 陳俞君 Yu Jiun Chen, 林郁婷 Aladdin Lin, 程凱揚 Kai Yang Chen, 江律璇 Melody Chiang Casting 選角: 何書瑜, 小草 Styling 造型: eggrollboys Styling Assistant 造型助理: Gem, Vint 梳化 Make Up & Hair: 曾國維 妝髮助理 Make Up Assistant: Mumu Sound Recordist 收音: 海大富team Shooting board 腳本分鏡: 蔡於診 Transportation 交通: 陳建生大車隊

Post Production 後期: 柏思 Editor 剪接: Rick Colorist 調光: 布丁 (意象影像) VFX 特效: dotz studios VFX Artist 特效師: 劉⼤煒 Davy Liu, 曾筱涵 Hsiao Han Tseng D1 修圖: 小璇, 阿東, Debby Sound Recordist 錄音: Seek (柏思)

[designresearch2ting]

New Ink Art Movement: The Rising Popularity of Contemporary Ink Paintingby Milica Jovic September 16, 2019

The ink art has a very long tradition in Asia. In China, for example, the ink was used in art and calligraphy, for over 2 millennia. However, in the 1980s, the artists reinvented traditional ink art by adopting influences and practices from the West. Chinese painters started to experiment with the media more, to embrace Expressionism, Conceptual and Abstract art, and disrupt the traditional subject matter. That’s how New Ink Art movement was born (also known as Contemporary Ink Painting, Contemporary Ink Art and Modern Ink Painting). New Ink Art combines contemporary ink painting with the ancient art of calligraphy, traditional Chinese ink painting of landscapes and figurative sketching. The movement has attracted artists from Taiwan, Hong Kong, China, Korea and Japan and finally the West, each of them adding something new to the genre.

'Contemplation of Rocks' by Liu Kuo-Sung via Sotheby's

INK LANDSCAPE

Ink landscape imagery holds a prominent spot in the Chinese culture. It was used for political comment, conveying moral standards, and social values. In the golden age of the landscape painting in China (907–1127), mountains towering over the natural world, were the most popular subject as they symbolized the imperial power overlooking the country. During difficult times, landscapes represented the metaphor for endurance and survival. New Ink Art movement reinvents the genre by using colors, textures and depicting urban landscapes of modern cities. In Taiwan, painter Liu Kuo-Sung, one of the forerunners of the movement, revolutionized ink landscape painting by removing the visible brushwork with the airbrush, by using bold colors, and by inventing a new type of paper that enhances lines and texture. Other artists like Chen Shaoxiong, painted urban landscapes with busy streets, massive buildings as well as the human relationship with these changing environments.

EXPRESSIONISM ART

Apart from depicting the changing face of the urban environments, Contemporary Ink painters are also increasingly focusing on the internal world of the artist, aka the landscape of the mind. Inspired by the Expressionism Art, New Ink Art movement reinterpreted the traditional ink painting by employing loose brushwork, expressions of personality and the abbreviation of figures. The painters used innovative symbols and composition styles, while retaining the traditional elements such as ink brush and xuan paper. One of the pioneers of New Ink Art in Hong Kong, Lui Shou-Kwan, for example, used black and red marks to explore the emptiness of Zen and to channel the spiritual connection to his materials. The inspiration for his artistic approach can be seen in the works of Adolph Gottlieb, Franz Kline, and other American Abstract Expressionists. The result was highly expressive paintings showing the inner life of the artist.

'Idyllic Scenery #2' by Liu Zijian via Artnet

ABSTRACT INK ART

In traditional ink painting, the brush is more important than the ink, since ink follows the brush to create a line. Artists like Gu Wend, however, separated the ink from the brush, thus introducing the abstract into Ink Art. Gu Wend's creative process includes pouring, splashing and rinsing large areas of ink or even using airbrush application to create figurative forms reminiscent of works by Salvador Dali. Other artists like Zhang Yu and Liu Zijian expanded the style further by blowing, pouring, accumulating and creating hard-edged collages and skin texture. This new visual vocabulary (that ranged from deeply conscious to aggressive) conveyed bursting emotions - particularly tension and power.  

WORLD INK ART

In the Far East writing is considered both a mean of communication and the highest form of art. Many calligraphers have developed unique styles that help reflect their state of mind and point of view. By writing and rewriting the same words over and over again, calligraphers achieve skillfulness that allows them to easily replicate the lettering with similar results. This skillfulness represents the basis for their creative freedom.

Expanding on this tradition, Contemporary Ink painters created letters and words that serve as an aesthetical object deprived of its semantic content. It used dilute ink, burning instruments and other techniques to separate the written word from its meaning and give it pictorial and sculptural dimensions. In their more repetitive work, Contemporary Ink painters have written the same text over and over again to achieve rhythm that gives an artwork the pattern-like quality.

'Kupa River in Ladešići' via Art Acacia Gallery

CONTEMPORARY INK ART IN THE WEST

For a long time, New Ink Art movement was limited to the East, with very little knowledge about it outside of the Asian continent. However, over time the movement has found its way to the West, where it has influenced a new generation of artists. Alfred Freddy Krupa, the creator of New Ink Art Manifesto, is considered the pivotal figure in Western New Ink Art movement. Inspired by the ink practice of Japan, where he used to live, Krupa uses dense black ink to create tense, raw and direct art that reflects his minimalist approach.

A Rainy Day

On the Bank of Korana River

At the River Bank

Kupa river in Ladešići

INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION

New Ink Art movement has gained international recognition with both Christie's and Sotheby’s organizing Contemporary Ink painting auctions in 2013 and 2014. The artworks by prominent names such as Lui Shou-Kwan and Liu Kuo-Sung have reached prices ranging from several hundred thousand to several million dollars.

Contemporary Ink painting was embraced by art institutions as well. In 2013, The Metropolitan Museum of Art has staged Ink Art: Past as Present in Contemporary China exhibition, presenting works of thirty-five Chinese ink artists created between the 1980s and the present day. Finland - China international Contemporary Ink Art exhibition was recently held in Red gallery in Helsinki and artworks by Contemporary Ink masters were also included in INK Brussels 2019. The relevance of the new movement is expected to rise, as more and more Asian and Western collectors are getting increasingly interested in the genre that is considered truly unique to Asia.

reference：https://www.artacacia.com/blogs/posts/new-ink-art-movement-the-rising-popularity-of-contemporary-ink-painting