Mountain Studio
Artist
Li Xubai
(Chinese, b. 1940)
Date1997
MaterialsInk and colors on paper
DimensionsH. 45 7/8 in x W. 20 1/2 in, H. 116.5 cm x W. 52.1 cm (image); H. 57 1/4 in x W. 27 1/4 in, H. 145.4 cm x W. 69.2 cm (overall)
Credit LineGift of the Yiqingzhai Collection
Object number2001.36
DepartmentChinese Art
ClassificationsPainting
On View
Not on viewInscribedFar away from the city, plants wind around my dwelling
place. Looking out the window in the early evening I listen
to the sounds of nature.
Suddenly a dream sweeps across my pillow, I feel the winds
of the four directions and rain begins to fall. Summer of the
year dingchou (1997), painted and inscribed by Xubai in the
wet capital.
More InformationA painter and poet born in Fuzhou, Li Xubai immigrated to Canada in 1996 and dedicated himself to ink painting. He often uses negative space to suggest snow, streams, mist, and clouds, creating glowing light that contrasts sharply with the darker tones of tall mountains and lush vegetation. His mountains often float in the air, without revealing tops or bottoms, thus generating a mysterious, surrealistic look. He also likes to create imaginative landscapes from unconventional shapes formed by jagged lines that twist and turn at abrupt angles. This exotic, semi-abstract landscape of layered textures and piled rocks offers a strong sense of modernity and emotional expression.
