Depicting the character of the Games

To paint his series of 100 Chinese ink paintings themed on the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, Shanghai-based artist Wang Xuyuan found inspiration not in solitude and tranquillity－which are commonly associated with the art form－but in a cacophony from uplifting music and videos about winter sports competitions.

"I thought that it was important to feel the energy of the Olympics when creating the series," says the 64-year-old. "The power and competitiveness of the Olympic Games pushed me to elevate ink painting beyond its traditional style. I could only achieve this when stimulated by the excitement felt during competition."

Featuring the dynamic movements of athletes, the ink painting series was compiled into a book some weeks ago and is expected to be published this month.

Wang, a veteran artist with two decades of experience, came up with the idea to stimulate his imagination when he attended the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics during a visit to Canada to see his daughter.

"My experience of painting pieces that feature arctic elements such as icebergs, penguins and mountains also facilitated my understanding of winter and ice," he adds.

One of his most eye-catching ink paintings is an installation series titled Arctic Ink, which made its debut at the Global Scientists Conference held in Davos, Switzerland, in 2018. For this series, Wang used water derived from Arctic ice to mix his ink.