Exhibition
Installation View
Exhibition Video
Exhibition Trailer
Ink Flux — 7 Narratives of Contemporary Chinese Ink
London·Mayfair
2026.3.26-5.24
Bluerider ART
Curatorial Statement
Chinese Ink art, as a crucial visual carrier of Eastern aesthetics, is founded upon dual dimensions. First, material: a medium system comprising brush, ink, paper, and water. Through variations in density, moisture, bleeding, and negative space, it generates rich layers that embody the subtle nuances known as “five colours of ink” Second, aesthetic and philosophical: rather than centring on single-point perspective and chiaroscuro, it employs shifting perspectives and the cultivation of spirit resonance to construct a spiritual space between the tangible and the intangible. This responds to core aesthetic principles such as “spirit resonance and vital motion” from the Six Principles of Chinese Painting, and the philosophy of “knowing the black, keeping the white.”
To comprehend the unique context of Chinese ink art, one must recognise the differences in its spatial construction and material logic compared to the Western painting tradition. Since the Renaissance, Western classical painting has developed linear perspective and chiaroscuro, emphasising visual representation and spatial volume. Chinese ink art, conversely, has developed a multi-perspective structure and the “Three Distances” (high, deep, and level distances), guiding viewers to wander through the composition and creating an immersive experience where one can “journey and dwell.” Furthermore, while oil paint allows for layering and repeated corrections, the bleeding and irreversibility of ink on Xuan paper highly depend on the momentary control of brushwork and breath. This characteristic of pursuing boundless realms with limited brushstrokes constitutes the spiritual core of Chinese aesthetics: valuing the spirit over physical resemblance.
Tracing the evolution of Chinese ink art, a grand and comprehensive system of landscape painting gradually formed from the 10th to 12th centuries (Five Dynasties to Northern Song). By the 10th to 13th centuries (Song Dynasty), a landscape emerged in which meticulous court painting (gongbi) and literati ink wash developed in parallel. Between the 13th and 20th centuries (Yuan, Ming, and Qing Dynasties), the literati tradition further amplified the painterliness and subjective spirit of the brushwork, elevating landscape painting from natural representation to a profound integration of inner expression and cultural symbolism. Chinese Ink subjects (landscapes, bird-and-flower, figures) and ink techniques (xieyi, gongbi) have carried the transformations of cultural politics and spiritual cultivation across different historical epochs.
Entering the 20th century, particularly driven by globalisation and cross-media experimentation, Chinese ink art gradually shifted from the inheritance of technique to a re-evaluation of the medium itself and cultural identity. Contemporary artists view ink art not only as a traditional technik but as a cultural language and conceptual medium. Through material deconstruction and cross-disciplinary fusion, they respond to contemporary issues including the urban experience, individual anxiety, and identity, seeking new narrative structures situated between continuation and transformation.
Ink Flux unfolds within this context of fluidity and transformation. Seven artists approach Chinese ink art from distinct angles—medium, gongbi, landscapes, figures, bird-and-flower, and brushwork—establishing a dialogue between historical context and contemporary experience to experiment, explore, and present the multifaceted possibilities of Chinese ink art in the present day.
• Dai Junpeng (China, b.1996): Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts MA. Continues the
dialectical spirit of the tangible and intangible in landscape painting, responding to
contemporary viewing with an aura of “emptiness” and “elegance” , seeking balance
between subjective brushwork and natural imagery.
• Dai Yinglun （China, b. 1987): Lu Xun Academy of Fine Arts Chinese Painting MA.
Employs a scattered, flattened style depicting the myriad states of life. Transcending
a binary perspective, he illustrates a dual observation of both the collective and the
individual, establishing a lively and vibrant visual language.
• Eunice Cheung Wai Man (HK, b.1986): Chinese University of Hong Kong, MA.
With meticulous gongbi, she depicts an anthropomorphic, hyper-realistic aesthetic of
birds, flowers, and animals, emphasising animal protection and a creative philosophy
that respects all living things.
• Li Liangchen（China, b. 1997): Central Academy of Fine Arts Art History and
Theory, MA in Fine Arts and Calligraphy from the Chinese National Academy of Arts,
where he is currently pursuing a doctoral degree. Uses blue-and-green as a
landscape filter, combining text collage and fragmented symbols. Situated between
classical motifs and modern narratives, he offers a multi-layered viewing experience
inviting the viewer to wander and dwell.
• Tseng Ting Yu（Taiwan, b.1983 ): Ph.D. from the Graduate Institute of Fine Arts at
National Taiwan Normal University. Researches “ink art that departs from ink"
painting, deconstructing the ways brush, ink, paper, and inkstone are perceived,
while exploring the profound connections between “the self,” “ink,” and “the land.”
• Wu Huaheng（China, b.1988) : BA from the Academy of Fine Arts at Hunan
Normal University. Delves deep into the material properties of ink and paper. With a
stark contrast between “extreme black” and “hard-edged white,” he constructs a
unique visual language that challenges the traditional boundaries of brush and ink.
• Ying Yefu (China, b. 1985) : China Academy of Art in Visual Communication
Design, BA. Applies traditional gongbi line drawing with a slightly raw, single-line
flat-fill style to figure painting—a new practice that renders the composition bizarre
yet imbued with dramatic tension.
The seven artists in Ink Flux demonstrate that Chinese ink art not only carries the weight of history but also possesses the capacity for continuous fluidity and self- transformation. At the intersection of historical depth and contemporary consciousness, Chinese ink art remains an aesthetic and cultural narrative still in the process of becoming.
Participatipating artists:
Dai Junpeng
Dai Yinglun
Eunice CHEUNG Wai Man
Li Liangchen
Tseng Ting Yu
Wu Huaheng
Ying Yefu
Exhibition Information
Ink Flux — 7 Narratives of Contemporary Chinese Ink
Exhibition Dates: 26 March – 24 May 2026
Press Preview: Wednesday, 25 March 2026 ｜14:30–18:00
Opening Reception: Thursday, 27 March 2026 ｜18:00–20:00 (Open to Public)
Bluerider ART London · Mayfair
47 Albemarle Street, London W1S 4JW
Open daily 10:00–18:00
info.uk@blueriderart.com
T: +44 (0)20 3903 7827
Artist
Dai Junpeng
（China, b.1996）
Dai Junpeng received his Master of Arts degree from the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts. Currently lives and works in Guangzhou, where he also teaches at Guangzhou College. His practice moves fluidly between a contemporary sensibility and the discipline of traditional ink painting, exploring how the concepts of xu (emptiness/void) and yi (ease, transcendence) may embody the humanistic spirit of landscape imagery. Within his work, a dynamic equilibrium is sought between human subjectivity and the objective presence of nature. His works presented in Taipei, London and Los Angeles, awarded the Outstanding Graduate Prize from the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts.
More information
Dai Yinglun
(China, b.1987）
Dai Yinglun received Master degree in Chinese Painting from the Lu Xun Academy of Fine Arts, currently lives and works in Shanghai. Deeply influenced by Zen, Buddhism and Eastern philosophy, he has developed a distinctive visual language characterised by dispersed, flattened compositions depicting the myriad conditions of human existence. Moving beyond binary oppositions, his work presents a dual perspective on the collective and the individual. His practice has garnered significant attention for its vitality and originality. Dai’s works have been exhibited and collected at institutions including the Shanghai Meibo Art Museum, Xi’an Contemporary Art Museum. Awarded the Gold Prize at the Shanghai Annual Youth Ink Exhibition, and the Artand Annual Award for Most Noteworthy Artist.
Eunice Cheung Wai Man
( Hong Kong, b.1986 )
Eunice CHEUNG Wai Man received her Master of Fine Arts degree from The Chinese University of Hong Kong, specialising in meticulous (gongbi) animal painting, and is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in National Taiwan Normal University. She is recognised as one of the representative figures of “New Gongbi” painting. Cheung is known for her refined brushwork and hyperreal aesthetic, often depicting anthropomorphised animals with extraordinary precision. Her practice foregrounds themes of animal protection and respect for all living beings. She held numerous solo exhibitions and participated in international exhibitions, including the National Palace Museum in Taiwan and the Basilica of Santa Croce in Italy. In 2009, she received the Hong Kong Contemporary Art Biennial Awards.
Li Liangchen
（China, b. 1997）
Li Liangchen received his B.A. in Art History and Theory from the Central Academy of Fine Arts and Master’s degree in Fine Arts and Calligraphy from the Chinese National Academy of Arts, where he is currently pursuing a doctoral degree. His work integrates classical material language with contemporary imagery, employing the blue-green (qinglü) landscape tradition as a visual “filter.” Through textual collage and fragmented symbols, he creates multilayered pictorial spaces that invite immersive viewing—spaces that may be metaphorically “inhabited” and “traversed.” Exhibited included the National Art Museum of China, Today Art Museum, and the Hangzhou Triennial of Chinese Painting. He has been awarded the First Prize for Outstanding Work in the National Art Exhibition and permanent collections by the China Artists Association, the Modern Gongbi Painting Academy, and Tree Art Museum in Beijing.
Tseng Ting Yu
（Taiwan, b. 1983）
Tseng Ting Yu received his Ph.D. from the Graduate Institute of Fine Arts at National Taiwan Normal University, where he currently teaches in the Department of Fine Arts. His research and practice centre on what he terms “ink beyond ink painting,” deconstructing the ways in which brush, ink, paper, and inkstone are conventionally perceived, while exploring the interrelationship between selfhood, ink, and land. He was awarded an Honorable Mention at the Second CTBC Contemporary Painting Prize. His works exhibited at the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum in Japan and the Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts, and in collections including CTBC and the Zhongshan Youth Art Award Collection.
Wu Huaheng
( China, b.1988 )
Wu Huaheng received BA from the Academy of Fine Arts at Hunan Normal University and currently lives and works in Beijing. His practice embodies both Zen sensibility and a contemporary experimental spirit. Moving beyond the conventional constraints of brush-and-ink orthodoxy, Wu delves into the intrinsic material properties of ink and paper. Through the stark contrast between “ultimate black” and “hard-edge white,” he constructs a distinctive visual language that challenges the traditional boundaries of ink painting. Exhibited in the Qingdao Annual Art Documentation Exhibition, the Croatia Art Fair, and Ink Asia Hong Kong.
Ying Yefu
( China, b.1985 )
Ying Yefu graduated from the China Academy of Art with a degree in Visual Communication Design and currently lives and works in Xianyang, Shaanxi. Committed to breaking conventions, he builds a bridge between nostalgia and surrealism, applying the traditional gongbi outline technique (baimiao)—inflected with a slightly raw, single-line flat-colour approach—to contemporary figure painting. The result is imagery that appears uncanny yet charged with dramatic tension. His works have been exhibited at MoCA Shanghai, in San Francisco and Singapore.
