The Bartlett
Summer Show 2023
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Symbolic Whispers of Nature

Project details

Student Yiwen Zhao
Programme
Year 2

His first revelation about nature came to him when he was a child, climbing a mountain. As he reached the summit, he felt the presence of three constant and ever-fresh sources of happiness in the world: the absence of pain, the void of sensation, and the ecstatic elevation of all things in his life. This feeling resurfaced two years ago during a trek in Yunnan, where he encountered a similar sight: a vast mountain range encircling an endless space, shrouded in mist that covered the ridges, with white vapours reaching up to the sky. The photo on the left was taken that morning. Ever since, he has been searching for a way to express accurately what he saw and felt until he discovered traditional Chinese ink painting, which, in his view, perfectly captures the 'spirit' of nature and became the inspiration for his project.

This project and the final installation are based on Chinese traditional ink painting, aiming to provide audiences with a new way of expressing their own feelings about nature, and listening to and understanding nature from an entirely new perspective.

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Natures Own Brushes

He collected a series of natural elements and tested them as bushes and gestures, exploring the voice of each species.

Designing Writing...

The final installation of this project comes from a lacquered wooden box that he saw when he was a child, which was used to collect antique scroll paintings. The lacquer paintings on the box have complex, beautiful, and mysterious textures.

The Scrolls Emerge

When the box is opened, a series of ink paintings scrolls down onto the table. The paintings gradually appear to his eyes as the scroll is pulled out. With his device, as the scroll is pulled out, an image comes into view, marked by twig gestures.

The Inks

Natural inks are supplied using a speed controller that squeezes the ink delivery tube. The ink is evenly and continuously delivered to the brush, allowing for continuous lines to be drawn on the paper.

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The Scrolls

Collaboration is required to complete the painting process, and during the brush's movement, the canvas is uniformly pulled out, allowing the artwork to emerge for everyone to see and experience.

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The Bartlett
Summer Show 2023
23 June – 8 July 2023
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