When I first met Juniper, he was cleaning the floor that had just been soiled after accumulating ink in the studio. Between conversations, he was always smiling, natural and easy-going.
As one of the rare abstract ink painters in the Chinese art world, Juniper-ru's paintings give people a strong artistic impact and a sense of heaviness. At the same time, he actively participated in the "Cheers for the Olympics" series of sports and cultural activities, art support and other social activities, and made his own contributions to the Winter Olympics and China's aesthetic education. Let's follow Juniper's brush to explore the artist's "landscape of mental images".
From Western painting to Chinese ink painting, gradually moving towards the "end of color"
In Juniperus's studio, many of his works are on display. There are brightly colored water woodcut prints, abstract color ink with bright color blocks, and abstract ink with black and white and deep colors. From the vivid color ink to the deep black and white ink, Juniper ru believes that this depicts his mental journey since he learned to paint.
Du Songru was born in the Shuxiang family, and his father Du Ziling was a famous contemporary Chinese painter. "Influenced by my family, I started painting from an early age. When I was in college, I was influenced by Western painting at that time and wanted to learn Western painting very much. My family advised me to study Chinese ink painting. To this end, we found a compromise, that is, to learn printmaking. Juniperus then entered the Printmaking Department of the Tianjin Academy of Fine Arts, and in 2000, he entered the Graduate School of Art of Kyoto Seigo University in Japan to specialize in printmaking, under the tutelage of the famous Japanese printmaker Mr. Akira Kurosaki. While studying in Japan, Juniperus studied hard in Sato's workshop and graduate school, incorporating the techniques and style of printmaking into his own creations.
Juniper Ru (first from left)
After returning to China, he continued to explore his own painting style. "After I returned home, I gradually moved closer to ink painting. Because I am still influenced by Chinese ink painting in the family atmosphere. I still want to paint landscape paintings. "The nourishment of family learning since childhood, coupled with the in-depth study of Western painting later, made Juniper Ru's landscape paintings unique." My early landscape paintings incorporated many characteristics of Japanese prints and ukiyo-e, and the colors were very gorgeous. "During this period, the imagery of Juniper Ru composed of color ink to depict the imagery of Chinese landscape painting with a variety of colors, which was very personal.
Juniper-ru's "Memory"
After working for many years, Juniper's paintings eventually went to the "end of color". "With the growth of experience and the improvement of aesthetics, my current paintings are basically only black and white." He said. Juniper Ru now paints, basically using only black ink, using ink accumulation, rubbing and other techniques, using different color blocks and lines to depict the charm of ink painting. He believes that black and white beauty is the highest state of beauty, and black also represents an attitude, that is, impartiality, self-sufficiency. Juniperin's abstract ink painting has been described as simple and not cumbersome, calm and not floating, which is also the summary of his years of pursuit of artistic spirit and temperament towards the "end of color".
Insist on the original intention and do not change, and strive to draw the "landscape of the heart image"
When describing his own creative process, the two words that Juniper Ru emphasized most were "writing the heart". "When I create, I mainly follow my own heart and draw what I want to paint." Du Songru said that the most important thing in Chinese landscape painting is qi rhyme, and this kind of qi rhyme is the pursuit and ideal of the painter's heart. "With the progress of science and technology and the development of society, the pace of everyone's life is getting faster and faster. Therefore, my current painting mainly seeks to find a feeling of expressing the depth and tranquility of the heart. "Heaven and earth, mountains and rivers, and clouds are the protagonists of Juniper's pen, and the beautiful mountains and rivers tell the charm he wants to express in his heart under Juniper's layered brushstrokes.
Juniper Ru's "Smoke and Rain in Jiangnan"
Du Songru believes that the word "writing the heart" has a deeper connotation in modern society. "'Cultural confidence', I think it's very wise. Painters must follow the temperament in the bones of their own nation. This is also why I studied abroad for so many years, and finally went to landscape painting. Because this is the temperament and aesthetic engraved in the genes of Chinese. So I think that when you paint, you can really draw something interesting. Du Songru said that as a Chinese, the emphasis on aesthetics and techniques is actually very different from that of the West. Only by following the habits and genes in the heart and using the Chinese method to "freehand" can we better depict the scenery of the mental image.
Juniper Ru's Impression of Anse
"The 'four self-confidences' emphasized by the state are very high. For us artists, this is actually to fundamentally strengthen our excellent traditional Chinese culture. How to carry forward and how to inherit it is also a problem that we modern artists must think about. ”
Giving back to the society with the heart of art The starting point of careful management of aesthetic education
Juniper's paintings are atmospheric and energetic, which is inextricably linked to his personality traits of loving life and being cheerful and close to others. As the director of the Exhibition Department of the China Artists Association, Du Songru is practical and diligent in his work, not only looking for artistic inspiration in social life, but also bringing aesthetic education to more people through his own work.
"I think art must be connected to society, and it cannot be separated from social fantasy." It is hard to hide his excitement when it comes to aesthetic education. "We in the China Artists Association have done a lot of work in aesthetic education, we have held large-scale youth art exhibitions, and at the same time we have walked into poor mountainous areas with many famous artists to support the children there and help children with difficulties realize their artistic dreams in the process of communicating and learning with children."
Du Songru introduced his experience with a group of painters when they went to Longnan, Gansu Province. "The kids over there are really talented in art and the drawings are really good. However, many children do not have systematic learning, coupled with the burden of life, so there are still many obstacles when entering the Academy of Fine Arts. What they need is actually a professional teacher to give them a real chance to realize their artistic dreams. "Juniper Ru and the volunteer teaching team organize lectures to the children during the day, and communicate and discuss with the children and local people who love art in the evening, and talk about painting and comment on painting together. Such an experience gave him a lot of insights, and let him discover the indispensable value of modern artists in social work.
His sense of social responsibility has always maintained his passion for giving back to the society with art. On the eve of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, Du Songru actively participated in a series of sports and cultural activities such as "Cheering for the Olympic Games", and expressed his support and expectations for the Winter Olympics with his own brushstrokes. "My father always told me that there are two very important things in doing art, one is hard work, and the other is ordinary mind. Only by recognizing that you are an ordinary member of society can you better listen to society and give back to society. ”
Reporters: Zhang Cang (intern), Tian Ran (intern)
Editors: Gao Meng, Yu Sihui, Peng Dong