Abstract

WANG DONGLING (B. 1945)
Abstract
Scroll, mounted and framed, ink on paper
66 x 135 cm. (26 x 53 ¹⁄₈ in.)
Inscribed and signed
Dated 1999

PROVENANCE:
Acquired directly from the artist;
Private collection, USA.

Renowned internationally for combining calligraphy practice, performance and installation art, Wang Dongling received traditional calligraphy training and was an apprentice of calligrapher Lin Sanzhi. He once claimed that “the brush has become an extension of my body. Calligraphy has been my calling, my life, and my aspiration.” As an artist as well as an active advocate for contemporary calligraphy, Wang combines action and spirit to turn the art of writing from a flat art to an expressive performance. Wang promotes the versatility of calligraphy, in which the format, subject and presentation can be relevant to contemporary society, resulting in abstract calligraphic works that interact harmoniously with its surroundings and its audience.