文以載道：夏荊山晚年鍾馗創作與傳統書畫的對話=Culture as a Vehicle of Moral Instruction: Dialogue Between Zhong Kui by Xia Jing Shan in His Later Years and Traditional Calligraphy and Painting
Xia Jing Shan was a prolific artist, and even as an octogenarian, he was still creating a tremendous amount of art. His later works consisted mostly of depictions of Bodhidharma and Zhong Kui, as he transitioned from more refined style in his earlier years and intricate compositional approach to one that was more robust, vigorous, and lyrical. The focus of this paper is on the subject of Zhong Kui depicted in his later works. Between the years, 2008 and 2012, Xia Jing Shan created many Zhong Kui paintings. He painted Zhong Kui with a dark face and plump figure and engaging in a range of different activities, including slaying ghosts, migrating, marrying off his sister, accompanied by bats, drinking alcoholic spirits or tea, appreciating art, or gazing at a waterfall. In addition to depicting Zhong Kui in a familiar, traditional way, Xia also often portrayed him in a personal and imaginative manner. He painted both Zhong Kui and Bodhidharma using liberated, free-flowing ink gestures. However, compared to the Zen implications seen in his paintings of Bodhidharma, his paintings of Zhong Kui are often set against a natural background, with the composition showing many references to his predecessors, including references to artworks by Dai Jin, Puyi, and Ren Bonian, and also elements extracted from the artist’s own earlier Buddhist paintings. This paper examines Xia’s Zhong Kui paintings and looks into how he sought to preserve the heritage of traditional Chinese art and integrate it in his own creations.
