Nowhere to Paint: The Interplay of Reality and Illusion, Nowhere to Paint is a Wonderful Realm

The exhibition "Nowhere to Paint: The Interplay of Reality and Illusion, Nowhere to Paint is a Wonderful Realm" is currently being held at the Yiju Art Gallery in Beijing's 798 Art District.

"Reality and illusion give rise to each other; nowhere to paint becomes a wonderful realm." This phrase by the Qing Dynasty painter Da Chongguang in "Painting Quan" reveals the profound artistic concept of "leaving blank" in Chinese art. Three hundred years later, a special exhibition called "Nowhere to Paint" is reinterpreting this Eastern aesthetic philosophy through contemporary language.

Upon entering the gallery, visitors are first drawn to the "paintings" on the walls. Upon closer inspection, these framed works are not traditional paintings but carefully arranged ancient artifacts and contemporary creations. This unconventional display method guides us to rethink the boundaries between "painting" and "non-painting," "presence" and "absence."

The exhibition features many precious ancient artifacts, from bone carvings of the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods to pottery jars of the Han Dynasty, from the stone Buddha of the Sui Dynasty to the Thousand Buddha Pagoda of the Tang Dynasty, from Ming Dynasty wood carvings to Qing Dynasty bronze ware. These objects, transcending time and space, are placed within frames and on pedestals, no longer isolated museum exhibits but narrative elements within an artistic context…

Post by Ruby Silly Paws | Oct 3, 2025