Quietly redefining the ink tradition

Peng Wei uses images of the past to paint a picture of today, Lin Qi reports.

Peng Wei is one of those artists who do not speak a lot. When the ink painter sits down for a talk, the range of her interests contributes greatly to the quality of time spent, and is a pleasure, both for herself and for her listeners.

For example, during a recent podcast series, Peng took listeners on a thought-provoking journey through the past and the present, the East and the West, crossing the boundaries of history, culture, society, and technology.

She talked about the life and work of Marguerite Duras (the French author of The Lover) and the music of Mozart — Queen of the Night aria from The Magic Flute being one of her favorites — before delving into the developments of the digital world, which she says human greed has overblown.