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From a distance

The term woyou ("lie down and travel") was used in ancient China to describe the vivid feeling brought on by a fine mountain-and-water painting. Appreciating such artwork was to help simulate an immersive experience of landscapes. Extensive and Moist, an exhibition at the Beijing Fine Art Academy, through Sunday, shows dozens of ink landscape paintings by Wen Xiang that make viewers feel like they are in a similar environment, especially as traveling is restricted due to the pandemic. Wen was born in a family of intellectuals and artists. He began delving in fine arts in childhood. Years later he worked for a brief period at the Palace Museum in Beijing, studying ancient artworks and handicrafts. The exhibition navigates the evolution of Wen's art through the decades. The museum's first floor shows his copies of great paintings in history, a way for him to understand the energy and atmosphere that ancient artists tried to communicate. Wen visited Japan in 1991 and conducted cultural exchanges. While he taught classic Chinese painting and furniture design there, he befriended several Japanese artists. He created paintings and took photos reflecting the influence of Japanese aesthetics, which are also on show. After returning to China, Wen continued to seek breakthroughs. He researched Chinese history, architecture and handicrafts, and tried to form "spiritual connections "with scholars and artists from the Song Dynasty (960-1279). His most recent paintings on display reflect such efforts to take his creation to a higher level.

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