The Dissolution of the Ego
In this final phase of my portrait work, the subject begins to disappear. It is no longer about capturing a person, but about capturing a state of being. These philosophical ink paintings (c. 1990–1992) mark the point where the portrait dissolves into pure ink. The boundaries between face and landscape, between form and emptiness (Wu 无), are erased. It is the visual equivalent of the Buddhist concept of “No-Self” (Anatta).
1. Calligraphy as Image
Shu Hua Tong Yuan (书画同源)
In Chinese tradition, “Calligraphy and Painting have the same origin” (Shu Hua Tong Yuan 书画同源). In these portraits, I treat the facial features like calligraphic characters. An eye is a dot, a mouth is a horizontal stroke. The brush does not “paint” flesh; it “writes” the spirit (Shen 神). The result is a reduction to the absolute essentials.
2. The Meditative Gaze
Silence in Ink. Unlike the loud, expressive works of the “Finger Painting” phase, these philosophical ink paintings are quiet. They are painted with a wet brush on absorbent rice paper, allowing the ink to bloom and fade. This technique reflects the Daoist principle of Wu Wei (无为)—action through non-action. I let the ink find its own path, creating soft, ghostly forms that seem to emerge from a mist.
3. Beyond the Face
The Final Abstraction
Eventually, the face becomes a mere pretext for the composition. In works like “Another Death”, the skull or the face is barely recognizable. It has become a symbol of mortality and impermanence. This series represents the end of my interest in the “Portrait” as a genre and the beginning of my dedication to pure Zen Art.
Why I stopped painting portraits
When the ego vanishes, who is there to paint? After this series of philosophical ink paintings, I realized that the human face was too limiting. To explore the deeper truths of Daoism and Zen, I had to leave the human form behind and turn to the landscape and the abstract void. Portraits VI is the farewell to the individual.
Related articles: Portraits III: The Ink Revolution (1984–1986) I Landscapes V: Dreamscapes (1998–2005) I Gestural Calligraphy: The Kinetic Stroke
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