Explorer of the void

Artist creates 'nothingness' with imaginative use of ink that both intrigues and fascinates, Deng Zhangyu reports.

It's difficult enough for artists to create a recognizable image worthy of appreciation. How much more difficult, then, for an artist to explore "nothingness"? With the paintings, the artist seems to try to lead the viewers into the abyss of the unknown, into the void.

For decades, ink painter Zhu Jianzhong has dedicated himself to such an exploration. He has sought to translate his understanding of that concept, which he views as "a spiritual cultivation".

Zhu, 67, has an ongoing show at the Tokyo Gallery + Beijing Tokyo Art Projects in the Chinese capital, where his ink works, made between 2018 and 2020, are on display.