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Lot Essay
In Tens of Thousands of Rocks, Hao Liang rendered an imaginary world of fantastical landscapes and mystical figures. In chronologically depicting a series of events, the artist invites his viewers to travel a journey from the abyss to a utopia-like paradise.
An element that connects all the scenes is the rock, for the artist loves rocks and finds abundant inspiration from them. Of the stones Hao Liang referenced in the present lot, some are real, and some are documented in historical paintings or literature: Mi Fu’s ink grinding stone, rocks from historical sites such as the Lingering Garden in Suzhou and the Ningshou Palace in the Forbidden City, a blue scholar’s rock depicted in Spring Morning in the Han Palace by Qiu Ying, Lingbi rock from Wu Bin’s Ten Views of a Lingbi Rock all appear unexpectedly in the composition. Hao Liang creatively sets his scenes, such as a deconstructed rock as a meteorite shower, a massive rock carried by mystical creatures half human and half beast, and giant rocks enshrouded by dark clouds descending from the sky. One has to look hard to find these rocks and deduce their association.
Born in Chengdu in 1983, Hao Liang is a rising star in Chinese paintings who radically weaves classical poetry, modern literature, film theory and modern art into this traditional genre. For the artist, his images must reflect superb technical skills and art historical knowledge and a reflection of his lived experience. As a result, his paintings often contain historical references interpreted with a contemporary sensibility.
An element that connects all the scenes is the rock, for the artist loves rocks and finds abundant inspiration from them. Of the stones Hao Liang referenced in the present lot, some are real, and some are documented in historical paintings or literature: Mi Fu’s ink grinding stone, rocks from historical sites such as the Lingering Garden in Suzhou and the Ningshou Palace in the Forbidden City, a blue scholar’s rock depicted in Spring Morning in the Han Palace by Qiu Ying, Lingbi rock from Wu Bin’s Ten Views of a Lingbi Rock all appear unexpectedly in the composition. Hao Liang creatively sets his scenes, such as a deconstructed rock as a meteorite shower, a massive rock carried by mystical creatures half human and half beast, and giant rocks enshrouded by dark clouds descending from the sky. One has to look hard to find these rocks and deduce their association.
Born in Chengdu in 1983, Hao Liang is a rising star in Chinese paintings who radically weaves classical poetry, modern literature, film theory and modern art into this traditional genre. For the artist, his images must reflect superb technical skills and art historical knowledge and a reflection of his lived experience. As a result, his paintings often contain historical references interpreted with a contemporary sensibility.