The broken dots and broken lines in the new works of Hsu Yu-jen have condensed sentiments different from the past. They directly tenderly call up the intrinsic calmness of the viewer. This warm and comfortable feeling is closely merged with the creative medium, water and color, black and white. It does not require the viewer to erase his/her flickering emotions but permits him/her to feel the exquisite portrayal of sentiments and find the soulful elements from the strokes of brushes.

Dwelling on his creative works, we have to start from water inks. Since ancient times, water inks have enchanted the artists and have continued to dimly emanate charms. Regardless of Chinese painting or western painting, artists who are fond of oriental traditional painting and calligraphy usually embrace exceptional feelings for the brush and for water inks, and attempt to draw nutrition from the Orient for display in their contemporary creative works. However, they have posed challenges of how to innovate? Plenty of artists have attempted to find a way out with new styles of water ink paintings by the abstract water inks and composite media of water inks or try to innovate in content and themes and profile the complexion of the age. Nevertheless, seemingly they lack the charm of traditional water ink painting. The more they are in contemplation of the contemporary the more they lose the most intrinsic nature of water inks. Most of the time innovation does not mean subversion and is not a way of using the old source materials to overthrow the old paintings. Contrary to oil painting, the pigment itself is an elegant temperament, and the process of ink grinding, the instant of applying the brush, every hand motion and every line must exercise prudence. Hsu Yu-jen is precisely such an artist capable of mastering and maintaining the atmosphere of painting.

The water ink creations of Hsu Yu-jen may be divided into fine strokes and bold strokes. His exploration of fine stroke water inks commenced 15 years ago while his bold stroke series were attempts by him upon arrival in Beijing in 2006. In the 1980’s he traveled in the US for half a year under the identity of an artist. All of a sudden, he was aware of the imperativeness of original creation. Then, he started to pursue absolute creation by using geometric shapes such as squares, egg shapes, triangles, horizontal lines and vertical lines to form the basic framework of water ink construction. He has pioneered a new way of thinking from the old fettered traditions and returned to intrinsic thinking, and then he proceeds from here to breakthrough the entire original framework of water ink painting. He does not use splashes but instead uses fine broken dots and broken lines and have them stacked up step by step. He cuts off the past and builds a new world of his own. In applying the strokes with fine black color, another issue has arisen, that is, about leaving blank spaces.

The reason why water ink painting gives people calmness and peace of mind is often related to the large blank spaces left on the painting. Blank spaces and colors are equally important and are part of the content. Some people even consider blank spaces are the most critical part in Chinese painting. Skillfully leaving blank spaces give the viewer more space for imaginations and bring about harmony in vision. In viewing Hsu Yu-jen’s fine stroke works, blank spaces in the painting often attract our attention. He often paints around the blank spaces, up and down, left and right, freely at his will. His creative style has shaken off the past water ink creations and embodied the leisurely attitude of the scholar in painting freely at will. Likewise, such liberty without restraint has delivered Hsu Yu-jen’s attitude toward life.

Black color and blank space, the creative broken dots and broken lines of the fine stroke water ink paintings are absolute creations by Hsu Yu-jen, and also absolute enjoyment of the viewer. I think the greatest superiority of Hsu Yu-jen’s creations lies in his extraction of essence from Chinese water ink paintings, and then tapping of his original creative energy. Such originality is a skill of “reduction”. Most artists tend to “add” and make the painting look more complicated. Instead, Hsu likes to cut away the entangled lines and compositions, cut and simplify, and squarely face the natural ecology of the time with pure simplicity. Like the ancients contemplating mountains and rivers, Hsu portrays his heart with mountains and rivers and injects vigor into life on the spotless silky paper.

Hsu Yu-jen is fond of enjoying the sights of mountains and rivers. He has recorded the uncontaminated modern society or rather the dead scenery of mountains and sea with his brush. He hopes to leave behind clean and natural mountains and rivers for modern men and at the same time transform his aspired nature into art. His fine stroke paintings entitled High Mountains and Withered Tree Trunk and his bold stoke series entitled Lonely Flowers and Buildings are reflections of mirror images under the current environment. Particularly after moving to Beijing, the strange and intimate artistic atmosphere there has attracted him to stay there for creations. His bold stroke series thus was born and after relocating to a new environment in northern China, his scope of thinking has widened and more possibilities have been realized. The supple feeling of the bold stroke Buildings series discloses firmness, and the Flower series is permeated with an unwavering atmosphere. Henceforth, Hsu’s creative water ink paintings have demonstrated two different styles, the graceful fine stroke portrayal, and the savage bold strokes, and the two goes hand in hand. With mastery of fine strokes of water inks, he attempted to use the hard brush to paint and likewise has produced innovative and charming water ink paintings. It’s worth noting that regardless of using fine strokes or bold strokes, he has not abandoned the intrinsic oriental water ink elements, and the emanated slightly differed atmosphere is proof of his pursuit of the raw state of nature. To an artist with such long years of water ink creations, it is rare and unique and all the more valuable.

This is the first complete presentation of fine stroke and bold stroke paintings by Hsu Yu-jen. Hsu has also shown his talent in decoration of the exhibition hall, way of viewing and space for viewers criss-crossing. Aside from originality in creative works, he also has shown originality in the style of exhibition of contemporary water ink paintings. Upon completion of each creative painting, the artist in fact has detached direct relation with his work, and what follows is the relation between the creation and the viewer at the exhibition. Hsu has painstakingly worked to enable the viewers to enter the world of the painting. The philosophy of drinking a glass of water or viewing a clear water ink painting is difficult to tell but you have to feel it with your heart.

Hsu Yu-jen says it is too complicated and shocking in living, therefore he tries to return to the silent state of nature. I’m thinking about the attitude of life of having no “footprints.” To be entirely isolated and peaceful amidst the glamorous and chaotic society is seemingly folklore of the Arabian Nights, but at least we can advance toward creating a spiritual castle aspired by the heart. The energy of love has become the spiritual support of Hsu. He now plans to return to the Taiwan Eastern Coast Work Studio to create the largest fine stroke water ink painting. The painting will embrace the natural scenery from the sea bottom to the mountains. While glimpsing at Hsu Yu-ren at work, this scene has left a silent and dim happiness. Undoubtedly, Hsu is on his way to another peak of creations.