Two female artists, who are both in their 70s and have a deep fascination with the ocean, are exhibiting their ocean-themed paintings at the “Ocean! Ocean!” exhibition at He Xiangning Art Museum. Entry is free.
A painting by Yu Lanyin.
Chinese-American Yu Lanyin, who has been a hobbyist scuba diver for more than 30 years, exhibits contemporary ink paintings focusing on the undersea world. Beijinger Lin Jiangdong, who used to be an economist and began to learn painting and swimming when she was 50, displays her rock paintings depicting the sea. Their paintings are abstract, creating a place of quiet beauty and leaving room for visitors to make their own interpretations.
“Nothing is permanent,” said Yu. “That’s what I understood when I went ashore after scuba diving, because beautiful scenes undersea may change or disappear.”
Visitors admire Lin Jiangdong’s paintings at He Xiangning Art Museum. Photo by Cao Zhen.
Holding master’s degrees in art creation and art history, Yu said that oceans and meditation are what made her find inner peace and a clear understanding of her life. “The flow of water, the rippling sunlight and the swift corals which are partly hidden and partly visible among rocks give me inspiration, and Chinese ink paintings can best express my intention.”
“Water, which flows downwards, holds a low-profile character and moistens everything. So when we have difficulties or confusion, we should see through the appearance to perceive the essence. Nobody can tell you how you should live your life. You have to find your strong points and invest some time in self-reflection to find out life’s meaning,” said Yu.
A painting by Lin Jiangdong.
Lin, who likes to challenge herself, said she achieves soul-searching through art and swimming. “It was not romantic when I first swam at age 50,” Lin said with a laugh. “I choked a lot and the sea was not clean although it looked blue and beautiful from afar.”
Lin said that when she was young, she loved reading Maxim Gorky’s “The Song of the Stormy Petrel,” admiring the birds’ struggling spirits; when she reached middle age, she liked Mao Zedong’s poem “Beidaihe,” which depicts a vision with high ambitions; and now as she enters the old age, she has come to understand the immensity of the sea and the universe after re-reading Cao Cao’s poem “Behold the Sea.”
Dates: Until Nov. 24
Hours: 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m., closed Mondays
Venue: He Xiangning Art Museum, 9013 Shennan Boulevard, Nanshan District (南山区深南大道9013号何香凝美术馆)
Metro: Line 1 to OCT Station (华侨城站), Exit C