A Glimpse of the First China Bonsai Masters' Works Exhibition: Getting Close to the Masters
"At the spring equinox, the willow branches and the oriole's song; at the summer solstice, the pine forest and the crane accompanying the qin. Say not that mountains and rivers are infinitely beautiful; the masters' bonsai exhibition is even more enchanting." On April 26, 2018, we welcomed the First National Bonsai Masters and BCI International Bonsai Masters' Works Exhibition.
▲At the opening ceremony, Ms. Chen Xiaoli, former chairman of the Chinese Society of Landscape Architecture, clearly explained the relationship between bonsai and potted plants. She emphasized that bonsai is a multi-element culture that requires substance, thought and soul.
▲Stepping into Master Pan Zhonglian's works, we feel this is a wonderful encounter with the soul. We look up to greatness, long to surpass it, and draw wisdom from it. Because thought is the main factor determining the quality of a work, mediocrity in a work stems from pallid thought, and poverty of thought stems from narrowness of vision. Therefore we must draw wisdom and strength.
The works in this exhibition embody the emotions and wisdom of the masters, making one feel as if gazing at high mountains and beholding great rivers, bathing us in a spring breeze, steeped in the splendid realm of bonsai art.
▲Work by Master Zhao Qingquan
▲Work by Master Zheng Yongtai
▲Work by Master Yin Zimin
▲Work by Master Hu Rongqing
▲Work by Master Liu Chuangang
▲Work by Master Huang Jiuwei
▲Work by Master Shi Peiyuan
▲Work by Master Li Yunlong
▲Work by Master Tian Yiwei
▲Work by Master Lu Zhiwei
▲Work by Master Chen Chang
▲Work by Master Fan Yicheng
▲Work by Master Xing Jinke
▲Work by Master Wei Qunjie
▲Work by Master Wang Yuankang
▲Work by Master Wang Hengliang
▲Work by Master Sheng Dingwu
▲Work by Master Feng Liansheng
▲Work by Master Han Xuenian
▲Work by Master Wei Jiquan
▲Work by Master Xiao Yixing
▲Work by Master Wu Dejun
▲Work by Master Deng Wenxiang
▲Work by Master Wang Yiding
▲Work by Master Huang Aoxun
▲Work by Master Meng Guangling
▲Work by Master Zhao Wei
▲Work by Master He Gansun
The above are some of the masters' works.
Bonsai art, like other arts, is a synthesis of multi-layered cultural cultivation. Without sufficient cultural cultivation, if one seeks only novelty in technique and form, one cannot produce works of art that silently nourish and delight the heart. Every excellent work must first move its creator before it can move others. The works of young bonsai master Zhang Zhigang reach precisely such a realm. He not only inherited the life principle of his revered teacher Mr. He Gansun, who worked efficiently and conducted himself with humility, but also humbly learned from other masters, tireless in his pursuit of a level of learning like climbing a high tower alone to gaze to the end of the world's roads.
▲Young bonsai master Zhang Zhigang and his works
The masters' works not only possess the perfect form of bonsai, but are even more an organic combination of bonsai and artistic conception, exchanging form for spirit and charm, natural and unhurried. Therefore, today's outstanding bonsai must originate from nature and surpass nature; it must be poetry within a painting, expressing aspiration through objects, capturing spirit through form, achieving both spirit and form. Rather than saying that poetic charm is the foundation of traditional Chinese culture, it is better to say it is the inevitable trend in the development of world bonsai art. Many masters' works consistently embody the soul of the nation, yet do not blindly follow old conventions, and each explores its own inspired path, full of natural delight.
The masters' demonstrations left the audience in awe. Their crafting was full of feeling, their compositions forming scenes, their techniques ever more skilled and pure, giving a sense of ethereal depth. They allowed people to perceive a deeper level of ideological meaning within.
▲Master Tian Yiwei's works have a distinctly individual style and unique artistic charm, continually stirring the emotions. His works set viewers' imaginations racing, giving them an uplifting power. It is as if "the water of a great river, seeming to move yet not move, seeming to flow yet not flow, brings infinite ease and affinity." In short, works of true feeling and sincerity inspire admiration.
▲Master Liu Chuangang is the contemporary Chinese bonsai master with the strongest personality. His original rainforest-style bonsai has the beautiful mood of a few drops of rain falling on fairyland, and wind blowing through thousands of homes in the mortal world.
Several Podocarpus (Bolan) trees seem veiled in a dense grove, whispering softly. Only birds can experience the subtlety of the rainforest. All is silent in the grove, and on the emerald lawn traces of white dew remain. This is the moisture stored up during the night, brimming with a fresh scent, making one feel that the summer solstice is approaching. The creator "casually" dotted a few stones, and the work was instantly imbued with spirit, overflowing with poetic beauty.
▲Master Shi Peiyuan's crafting demonstration
▲Master Li Yunlong's crafting demonstration
▲Master Wang Hengliang's crafting demonstration
▲Master Shen Baiping's crafting demonstration
▲The above are demonstrations by some of the masters
After watching the masters' demonstrations, an indescribable emotion arises spontaneously, as if one has already left the cumbersome world behind, entirely immersed in a realm of admiration and reverence. The masters' works are not mere bonsai, but carry their passion, their love, their wisdom, and reveal even more their unwavering beautiful ideals and the noble character of devoting their lives to the bonsai cause.
During the exhibition, the China Bonsai Association organized master training, covering bonsai history, Chinese studies and more. Through this learning, we came to understand the history of Chinese bonsai and the deep ties between Japanese bonsai and Chinese bonsai. As the country of origin of bonsai, we should be good at learning from others' strengths and making them our own. While learning from others' strengths, we must even more uphold our national characteristics and not lose the roots of our nation. Although the craftsman spirit is worth learning from, the direction of Chinese bonsai development - the combination of trees and stones, with poetic charm - has already been recognized by the world, giving us a sense of national pride. As Chinese bonsai practitioners, what reason is there not to follow our own national path? The timeless classics and splendid philosophical thought created by Chinese culture have educated generation after generation of Chinese people.
In the future, the direction of Chinese bonsai development is just as Master Zhao Qingquan said: "Chinese bonsai practitioners must keep their feet on the ground, must not be impetuous, must not seek quick success and instant benefits." China will certainly become a world bonsai power!
It is hard to say whether Chinese national culture influenced the masters, or whether the contentment of bonsai practitioners created the China Bonsai Association. In recent years, the achievements of the China Bonsai Association have been obvious to all.
This event greatly benefited the broad community of bonsai practitioners, and we cannot help but thank the initiators and organizers of this event.
Thanks to the Flower, Bonsai and Viewing Stone Branch of the Chinese Society of Landscape Architecture and the Shanghai Botanical Garden!
Thanks to all the instructors for their wonderful lectures!
Thanks to all the bonsai masters for their contributions to the development of the Chinese bonsai cause!
We seek not worldly scenes in pots, but only truth, goodness and beauty in the world!
May our country's bonsai cause have a bright future!
Highlights replay:
A Glimpse of the 2018 Chinese Bonsai Art Masters and BCI International Bonsai Masters' Creative Demonstrations
The Dedication of Love - The Sixth Wang Hengliang Bonsai Art Public Welfare Lecture Series Opens