DEPARTMENT OF VISUAL CULTURE STUDIES

FACULTY OF ART AND DESIGN

VCS408: ART AND SPIRITUALITY

THE CONCEPT OF CHI IN CHINESE

MAWAR BERDURI
NAME STUDENT ID CLASS

UMARUL HAQIMI BIN ZAMRI 2018207884 AD2322A

AMIR SYAFIQ BIN MOHD SUKERI 2018225052 AD2322A

NURAMIRA QISTINA BINTI NOOR IZHAM 2018225094 AD2322A

ALFAQIHAH BINTI ABDULLAH 2018207858 AD2322A

NUR ASYIKIN BINTI RAMLI 2018207658 AD2322A

SITI NABILAH BINTI YUSUF 2018663348 AD2322A

20 DECEMBER 2018
1.0 List of Contents

1. Cover 1

2. List of Contents 2

3. Introduction 3

4. Artworks Analysis

- Eight Views on Mount Huang (1681) 4

- The Walking on A Mountain Path in Spring (1190-1225) 7

- Early Spring (1072) 9

5. Conclusions 12

6. References 13

2
2.0 Introduction

The ancient character Qi (炁) is made with the upper radical Wu (无) and the

bottom radical Huo (火). Wu means no, nothing, without, empty, emptiness, and the

primordial state of nature or the Universe. Chi also means “breath” or “air” and is often

translated as “energy flow,” “life force” or “matter energy.”

In a landscape painting, empty space often indicates cloud, mist, sky, water or

smoke. Nonetheless, the empty space refers to qi (chi), a cosmological term which is

formless, but bestows life to Chinese painting. In Chinese painting, the intermediate

spaces are eloquent and aesthetically significant. Thus, the space (‘emptiness’) becomes

of great importance. For it is in the separation of elements, the space serves to give

definition to the forms themselves. Emptiness is a concept at the very heart of Chinese

painting, and is of supreme importance to painters, it is also a philosophical notion that

has very deep roots in Chinese Taoism, as well as in Buddhism.

In landscape terms, fullness can be expressed as mountains, and emptiness as

valleys. Without the valleys, there would be no mountains, and without the mountains

there would be no valleys, the two are wholly interdependent. In painting terms the

empty spaces are immeasurable, born of spirit and dream. Emptiness is not a negation,

rather it brings definition and clarity, it also allows change and transition to unfold.

3
3.0 Artworks Analysis

3.1 Eight Views on Mount Huang (1681)

Eight Views of Mount Huang, Zheng Ming, 1681, Album on nine leaves of

painting and calligraphy; ink on paper.

A little bit about the artist, Wen Zheng Ming was born in Wen Bi near

present day Suzhou on November 28 in 1470 and he died in 1559 when he is in

(88-89) years old. Wen Zheng Ming would later be known by his courtesy name,

Zheng Ming. He was leading Ming dynasty painter, calligrapher, poet and

scholar. He was regarded as one of the Four Masters of Ming painting. Wen

Zheng Ming was one of a number Ming dynasty literati artist who set

themselves in opposition to the professional and academy influenced styled

favoured in the region of Zhejiang.

4
 The Eight Views of Mount Huang is one of the types of Chinese painting

which is the period in Qing Dynasty (1644 – 1911). Painted by Wen Zheng

Ming (Chinese, 1633 – 1683) in the 17th century.

The artwork was painted for a specific patron in 1681. The presents was

very detail implemented views of Mount Huang. So, including the majestic

Heavenly Citadel Peak that shown here, while facing pages are inscribed with

the artists poetic accounts of the famous sites. The painted was from memory

years after his two visits to the region, and the artwork was balance sensitive

description detail and lyrical abstraction to achieve a vision of the scenery that

was inspired many of leading artists of the seventeenth century.

How the artwork was created, that was happen in 1681, Wen Zheng

Ming was approached by a younger friend Chuzen, who is asked the master to

paint 2 artworks which is one for him and one for a friend. He obliged that the

painting for Chuzen in the hopes of spurring his interest in Mount Huang where

the young man had never been. So, Zheng Ming himself had been there only

twice, the most recent trip more than seven years earlier. He just painted the

Eight Views of Mount Huang from his memory only. By the relatively little

known artist Zheng Ming, the ranks among the best Huangshan artworks, it is

compositional originality and subtle brushwork unfolds over a journey of eight

distinct part.

The artist, Zheng Ming was combined the signature dry brush technique

of the Anhui School’s founder Hongren with the subtle in washes that is to

create a less austere, more descriptive style. Furthermore, adding to the artworks

appeal is the artists lengthy inscription on the leaf, which is explains the story

of the artworks creation. In long inscription, written to accompany the artwork,

5
Zheng Ming explains the circumstances of its creation. In his inscription, he

writes that “in the future, after all his children get married, if Chuzen ever travels

there, I hope he will take this artwork with him to check against the actual sites

and I will then become his tour guide”.

6
3.2 Walking on A Mountain Path in Spring (1190-1225)

Walking on A Mountain Path in Spring, Ma Yuan, 1190-1225, Ink on silk, 27.4

cm x 43.1 cm

The “Walking on a Mountain Path in Spring” painted by Ma Yuan is

considered to be the most well-known Chinese painting today. The painting is

safely guarded at the National Museum of Taiwan in Taipei, Taiwan.

Created by Ma Yuan around 12th century CE during the Southern Song

Dynasty. Ma Yuan was not an ordinary painter. He was actually a fourth-

generation painter for the Royal Court and was well known artist not just in his

homeland China but also Japan and throughout the Sino sphere. He founded the

Ma-Xia school of painting along with fellow painter Xia Gui, of which his

school would later gave rise to many great Chinese and Japanese artists such as

Shūbun and Sesshū.

The painting is one of the fine examples of Chinese Landscape Painting,

which emphasizes on the Shi instead of based on real life landscape. One of the

unique features of Ma Yuan’s painting is his “One-style corner” of which it

7
focuses only one half of the painting while the other half remained empty but

sometimes include poems.

The painting depicts two men, one who stand still watching the

mountains and another one is holding a traditional Chinese guitar or harp

(known as Zheng). The standing man is possibly an aristocrat or in some sources

an Emperor himself watches and appreciates the nature that surrounds him, the

mountains, the streams, and two birds that is one sitting on a branch and another

one flies away to escape from Humans. The other man who holds the zither is

possibly his servant or guardian. On the top right the poem reads “The wild

flowers dance when brushed by my sleeves. Reclusive birds make no sound as

they shun the presence of people” referring to the presence of the two men

which caused one of the bird to flew away. It was written by Emperor Ningzong,

who considered Ma Yuan as one of his favourite painters.

8
3.3 Early Spring (1072)

Early Spring, Guo Xi, 1072, Hanging scroll, ink and color on silk, 108.1 cm x

158.3 cm

Early Spring is a hanging scroll painting by Guo Xi and was completed

on 1072, Sung Dynasty from 11th century. The medium used were ink and

colour on silk. Located at National Palace Museum, Taipei City, Taiwan

(R.O.C).

This work is Guo Xi’s most famous masterpiece. According to the

auspicious clouds on an early spring day that appear enveloping the landscape

right after the winter. It is full of potential for life and renewal. That is why Guo

Xi entitled his most famous painting as Early Spring. For them, the cloud is

always associated with gods and their legendary creatures like dragons, treasure.

That is why it represents the meaning of holiness, and it also means luck. Forms

emerged from the mist showed the land seems to awaken as the trees spring

9
forth. Guo Xi developed a style which is depicting multiple perspectives called

“the angle of totality”. Because for him, a painting is not a window. There is no

need to imitate and view a scene from one spot.

According to traditional Chinese philosophy, interdependent in the

natural world such as yin and yang must be balanced. In fact, the Chinese

express the concept of landscape with the term Shan Shui or derived

“mountains-water”. The combination of mountains and water in its various

forms (sea, river and mist) is evident throughout Chinese landscapes. Both of

these elements of Shan Shui are present in Early Spring. The main elements of

the monumental landscape were arranged by Guo Xi along the central axis of

this vertical hanging scroll.

In Early Spring, Guo Xi employed brush strokes same as calligraphers

used to inscribe scrolls. The resultant lines show dormant energy of swirling

beneath the surface of the painting. The natural forces these lines to maintain in

harmonious equilibrium by a composition that balances mountains and water. It

shows mountains could not exist without water. Guo Xi has arranged the

position of his scene to draw the viewer’s eyes up to the mountain, which appear

monumental scale. In China, mountains were considered as a jumping off point

straight to heaven. In this artwork, we can find the eye progresses up the

mountain and earthly reality is left behind. While the lower state of the scene, a

temple situated in its heights.

The “S”- shape of the middle ground was connected by the large

landforms and pine tree in the foreground. A break with the mist, the slope

climbs up and continues into the winding central mountain in the back. The

10
penetrated of the deep distance to either side of the mighty mountain as a windy

forms were complemented by the breaks of diagonal streams and waterfalls. A

lofty halls and pavilions are tucked deep in the mountains to the right. The ink

applied were light but rich. While the combination of the composition and

techniques of tall, deep and flat distances making this painting as an ideal

landscape for walking, viewing, living and travelling in the imagination. What

Guo Xi was trying to convey and painted was understood and felt by the viewers

even just having a look through a painting.

11
4.0 Conclusion

The first canon of Chinese painting describes its rhythmic vitality, which refers

to qi, a metaphysical concept of a cosmic power. Empty space in a painting is where

qi dwells or flows. Without qi, empty space cannot be differentiated from blank space.

The first canon of Chinese painting describes its rhythmic vitality, which refers to qi, a

metaphysical concept of a cosmic power. The original meaning of qi is applied to the

air we breathe or to all gaseous substances.

Since air is essential for us to breathe, qi has been considered as the principle of

life in painting, and if qi is lacking, a painting will appear lifeless. Qi comes from an

artist’s inner self, it is a result of the interaction between the artist and the object. When

qi is still, a painting appears tranquil; when qi moves then a painting is dynamic and

full of life. This is the true definition and method of qi applied in the painting which

shown a real meaning of the real life that breathe on the painting to make it alive to the

audience and the creator itself.

Thus, we can understand that the application of qi in the painting not only to

enriched the uses of space but also the breathe of the painting itself. It also means the

completion of the artwork even it is empty spaces. Qi in the painting symbolizes a great

picture of the spirit and energy in the painting through mountain, mist, clouds or even

sky and path in a mountain. The energy represents the living painting that beyond the

thought of the painter that they did not even stay put to draw or create the image but

only through their memory and understanding.

12
5.0 References

Master Zhongxian Wu. (Sep 2, 2016). The Meaning of Qi. Qi Encyclopedia. Retrieved
from http://qi-encyclopedia.com/
Yogapedia Editors. Chi. Yogapedia. Retrieved from https://www.yogapedia.com/
Weimin He. The Mystery of Empty Space. Retrieved from
The Mystery of Empty Space.
Robert Ketchell. (Oct 9, 2013). On Chinese Landscape Painting and Japanese
Gardens. Part 4/5. Robert Ketchell’s Blog. Retrieved from
http://robertketchell.blogspot.com/
Wikipedia. (2018). Wen Zheng Ming. Wikipedia. Retrieved from
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wen_Zhengming
The MET. Eight views of the Yellow Mountains. Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Retrieved from https://www.metmuseum.org/
Professor Hartman. Chinese Painting. Albany Edu. Retrieved from
https://www.albany.edu/
Sally Whitman Coleman. (Feb 16, 2016). Ma Yuan: Landscape and Poetry. The Art
Minute. Retrieved from http://www.the-art-minute.com/
It’s Artalicious. (Mar 14, 2015). Walking on A Mountain Path in Spring – Ma Yuan.
Wordpress. Retrieved from https://itsartalicious.wordpress.com/
32minutes. (Sep 15, 2016). Looking at Ma Yuan’s Walking on a path in spring.
Wordpress. Retrieved from https://32minutes.wordpress.com/
China Online Museum. (2018). Early Spring. China Online Museum. Retrieved from
http://www.comuseum.com/
Robert E. Harrist. (2017). Early Spring. Annenberg Learner. Retrieved from
https://www.learner.org/
The Famous Artist. (2010). Early Spring. Retrieved from
http://www.thefamousartists.com/guo-xi/early-spring
Duende by Madam Zozo. (2015). Chinese Symbols: Lucky Clouds. Retrieved from
https://duendebymadamzozo.com/chinese-symbols-lucky-clouds/

13