Jizi and contemporary ink art: ‘Re-Chineseness’ and unification with nature

Can Chinese ink-wash painters make art that is contemporary? Can contemporary art be made by accepting traditional Chinese aesthetics as an influence? Some contemporary Chinese artists hope to find some principles from Chinese aesthetics so that they can make global art that is authentically Chinese. To evaluate such questions and searches, some ink-wash paintings by Jizi are selected as test cases for the application of an experimental cross-cultural interpretation of Jing Hao’s aesthetic of qiyun/rhythmic vitality and authentic images. The results suggest that Jizi does express specifically Chinese thinking about self in unification with nature, others and universe in a way that can be appreciated by individuals in audiences around the world.