The Renwen Society of China Institute will host a lecture on “The Art of Y Y Ting & Bada Shanren”  at Gianguan Auctions on Sunday, January 27. The speaker will be Kwong Lum, a disciple of Y Y Ting  

The exhibit, “The Art of Y Y Ting & Bada Shanren” runs from January 24 through February 7. It offers a rare comparison of the work of the two artists, who lived five hundred years apart. 

A native of Maoming, Guangdong Province, Y Y Ting née Ding Yanyong (1902-1978) was sent, at the age of eighteen, to study western painting in Japan. The experience opened his eyes not only to technique but also to the passion of Japanese artists who abandoned opportunities in Europe to revitalize their cultural heritage. Ten years later, Y Y Ting saw  how the splash ink freehand of Ming artist Bada Shanren reflected Lao Tzu’s philosophy of open mindedness. Ting then advanced the concept despite a backlash of public opinion. 

Bada Shanren (1521-1527) broke from Ming formalism to explore a more naturalistic splash ink approach. Incurring the ire of Emperor Jiajing (1522-1566), he was reduced to poverty, a state so dismal that fellow artists were reluctant to experiment lest they too lose everything. That was further complicated by the Manchurian invasion that established the Qing Dynasty. To save himself, Bada Shanren became a monk. In the monastery he was free to pursue his artistic journey. 

Bada Shanren’s personal courage and faith ushered in a new era of Chinese art and established him as the founder of modern Chinese painting.  

The lecture, sponsored China Institute Renwen Society, will be conducted in English and Chinese. It is slated for Sunday, January 27 at Gianguan Auctions. “The Art of Y Y Ting & Bada Shanren" runs January 24 - February 7 at Gianguan Auctions, W. 56th Street, NYC.  For details in Chinese on the lecture, please visit http://chineselectures.org/012719.html.