Literally translated as "Japanese Painting," Nihonga incorporates ink, and/or pigment, gold and silver leaf on paper or silk. Introduced to Japan through its contact with Chinese culture, the Nihonga technique has remained relatively unchanged since the 8th century. Although the style originated in the Chinese Tang Dynasty (618-907), it was overlooked by its native country when ink painting became the dominant medium. The Chinese style, however, was adopted in Japan and its development defined Japanese painting for centuries.
In 1995, while preparing for a comprehensive exhibition of contemporary Nihonga painters for my gallery, Chen Wenguang's work was presented to me.  He was creating a body of work that would become an extremely important link in the history of the Nihonga technique. The exquisitely beautiful paintings that arrived from China for the exhibition were indeed Nihonga, but also something more.
Having initially trained in China at the Guangzhou University as an ink painter, Chen relocated to Japan in 1985 and spent the next fourteen years mastering what had come to be recognized as a Japanese aesthetic. Under the guidance of the legendary Nihonga master Matazo Kayama at the Tokyo University of Fine Arts, Chen was able to gain a deep understanding of advanced techniques, which allowed him to develop his own style within this ancient tradition of painting.
Picking up the artistic thread from Nihonga's Chinese history, Chen provides a significant link between Chinese and Japanese art.  The artist is considered a major practitioner of Nihonga, a remarkable achievement given the nature of the lineage. Even while presenting uniquely Asian influences, the paintings have a global aesthetic; the strict principles of Nihonga are respected by Chen, but they do not control his compositions. Chen's paintings speak of a thousand years of Asian art as they approach the considerations of a postmodern environment.
Dillon Gallery is proud to present the extraordinary works of Chen Wenguang in monograph form.

作者：Valerie,Dillon