Nan Qi and Hong Zhu An: Chinese Contemporary Ink

Chinese Contemporary Ink by Nan Qi and Hong Zhu An

Presented by The Culture Story

15 September—7 October 2018

The Culture Story presented Nan Qi (b. 1960) and Hong Zhu An (b. 1955), two masters of ink who pushed the boundaries of a medium steeped in history. Straddling the traditional foundations of Chinese art education and the influence of Western painting, they represented distinct trajectories within contemporary ink practice, blurring the line between East and West.

Renowned for his ‘Halo dots,’ Beijing-based Nan Qi developed a unique ink painting style often described as “Post-Pop,” drawing comparisons to Western artists like Andy Warhol. His works, created on traditional xuan paper, combined ink painting, staining, washing, and colourimetric techniques, yet the precisely rendered dots resembled digital pixelation. His ever-evolving technique continued to push the boundaries of Chinese ink painting. The Culture Story showcased a selection of his early dot series alongside his iconic portraits of world leaders.

Juxtaposing the vivid colors of Nan Qi’s works, The Culture Story also presented never-before-seen pieces by Singapore-based Chinese painter Hong Zhu An (b. 1955). Trained under renowned Chinese art scholar Wang Zidou in Shanghai and having lived in Sydney before settling in Singapore, Hong masterfully bridged Western and Chinese artistic traditions. His practice merged calligraphy with painting, incorporating techniques such as “negative painting.” Deeply attuned to the significance of the line—central to Chinese artistic expression—his works were built upon countless layers of calligraphic strokes and colors, each revealing a depth of thought and meditative complexity.