Lets talk about ink and brush

An exhibition celebrating traditional ink and brush painting, opened in Beijing over the weekend at the Museum of Contemporary Art. "Legend of Ink and Brush" aims to reveal contemporary developments in the traditional art form, while emphasizing that tradition remains at the heart, in the modern era.

Contemporary ink and brush painting entered a new phase during the 1990s and aroused new international awareness. Chinese artists broke the limits of traditional forms, and expanded the art form using a greater diversity of materials. Paintings tend to express the artist's views about society. There is fresh regard to technique, color and media reflecting the inner world. The artistic experimentation upgraded the traditional art into a more complex manner of expression and to new aesthetics.

Ping Jie, curator, said, "Contemporary ink and brush art developed as a result of experimentation by Taiwan artists during the 1960's and mainland artists during the 1980s. In the past, painters just followed what they learned from the masters. Contemporary painting is more focused on individual expression. Today's artists add various elements into their works. The revolution in approach gave rise to the overall changes in the ink and brush field."

Chinese artists have created awe inspiring works with ink and brush over the past 2000 years.