Artist: Dai Junpeng

Dai Junpeng (China, b. 1996) graduated with a Master of Fine Arts from Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts and currently lives and works in Guangzhou, where he also teaches at Guangzhou College of Applied Science and Technology. His artistic practice oscillates between “contemporary spirit” and “traditional ink techniques,” aiming to express the humanistic spirit of landscapes and natural forms in a simple and organic manner. In his creative exploration, he seeks to find a balance between human subjectivity and the objectivity of nature. As Qi Baishi once remarked, “The beauty of painting lies between resemblance and abstraction.” The blank spaces in Dai’s paintings are simultaneously void and substantive, inviting viewers to generate their own interpretations and resonance shaped by the times, personal experiences, and emotions. His works have been recognized with the Outstanding Graduate Award from Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts.

The exhibition title The Game of Creation stems from an exploration of nature and art. The term “creation” (zaohua) originates from ancient Chinese philosophy and culture, encompassing profound reflections on nature, life, and the universe. It resonates with Daoist concepts of “naturalness and non-action,” Confucian ideals of “the order of heaven,” and Buddhist teachings on karma, while also symbolizing life’s serendipities and a celebration of creativity. In Li Bai’s poem Viewing the Waterfall at Mount Lu, the line “Nature has bestowed its divine wonders; yin and yang split the dusk and dawn” highlights the marvelous beauty of nature. The word “game” introduces a sense of playfulness and freedom. Dai views artistic creation as a “game,” embracing the childlike curiosity and exploration of nature. For him, the essence of art lies not in representation but in the emotions naturally revealed during the act of play. He seeks an uncontrived purity and authenticity, playing amidst landscapes, playing within the bounds of a square canvas, and becoming a “creator.” Using landscapes as his chessboard and elements like Taihu stones, clouds, and flowing water as chess pieces, Dai constructs an illusory ideal world where he finds joy and self-forgetfulness. This emotional state, often ambiguous and indescribable, resonates deeply with viewers, offering profound spiritual power.

Ink painting is one of the most important traditional art forms in China, originating in the Wei and Jin dynasties and flourishing during the Sui and Tang periods. Wang Wei’s concept of “poetry in painting, painting in poetry” elevated landscape painting to new heights. The Song dynasty saw the pinnacle of landscape art, emphasizing “the intention precedes the brush” and “the meaning lies beyond the image.” Northern Song painters Fan Kuan and Guo Xi excelled in grandeur and magnificence, while Southern Song artists Ma Yuan and Xia Gui focused on close-up views, using blank spaces to create ethereal atmospheres. Yuan dynasty literati painters like Zhao Mengfu and Ni Zan emphasized individuality through brushwork, advocating for the “common origin of calligraphy and painting.”
Dai Junpeng’s creative core of “void” and “transcendence” revitalizes the imagery of traditional landscapes in a modern context through minimalistic color compositions and symbolic treatment. Technically, he uses wet painting methods to dye the entire background, creating a misty ambiance. However, the mist is depicted using rich lapis lazuli tones that swirl around the mountains, rocks, and houses, forming landscapes that feel simultaneously familiar and unfamiliar, real and unreal. These serve as a starting point for viewers’ imagination and emotional resonance. Dai employs soft color palettes to echo the “void,” utilizing mineral pigments like malachite green, azurite, lapis lazuli, peacock green, cinnabar, and vermilion in unique combinations to create a distinctly Eastern aesthetic. This approach, rooted in tradition yet breaking away from it, continues the traditional ink painting’s aesthetic spirit of “resemblance and abstraction” while leading viewers into a state of transcendence.

Bluerider ART Taipei · DunRen presents Dai Junpeng: The Game of Creation – 2025 Solo Exhibition, showcasing a series of recent works. In Jade, piled Taihu stones symbolize “fairy mountains,” embodying not only refined natural landscapes but also an aspiration for ideal realms. The snowy settings and jade-like textures detach the imagery from reality, introducing a poetic and transcendent world. Worshipping Stones draws from the story of Mi Fu, the Northern Song landscape painter known for his obsession with stones, bowing before any remarkable stone he encountered—a motif frequently depicted by painters across generations. Dai reinterprets this theme through delicate color applications with an Eastern flavor, combining mineral pigments and techniques to achieve a contemporary expression. In Mi’s Cloud Mountains, he uses ink washes to depict ever-changing mists and clouds, paying tribute to Mi Fu’s school of landscape painting with subtle elegance. Cloud Mountain Forts intricately portrays the architecture, mountain ridges, and misty atmosphere of Guizhou’s forts, using light and elegant colors to convey the ethereal beauty of fog-shrouded landscapes.

The solo exhibition Dai Junpeng: The Game of Creation bridges the traditional and contemporary, drawing inspiration from Eastern mythology and symbolized natural elements to embody “void” and “transcendence.” Dai’s landscape paintings offer audiences an opportunity to reexamine the relationship between humanity and nature. Through a playful creative approach, the exhibition provides a refreshing aesthetic experience and vitality in today’s chaotic society.