RED EARTH & VOID RING

400 X 240 cm, medium: mixed media on canvas (YEAR: 2026)

BROKEN RING INTERPRETS ZERO, BEYOND ZERO - EXPLORING THE ESSENCE OF BEING.

The work adopts a vertical three-section composition that divides the space into three layers: firmament, wilderness and earth. The upper section is washed with off-white and light gray hues to depict a vast sky, with ample negative space evoking a serene and boundless mood. The middle layer features interwoven ochre red tones, stretching into an endless wilderness. Its layered colors resemble the glow of sunset draping over primeval land. The bottom section is dominated by deep brown, forming solid earth strata marked by weathered textures that replicate the rock formations shaped by billions of years of geological evolution. Gradually shifting from pale to dark tones and from ethereal to grounded visuals, the piece employs hand scraping, layered dyeing and stamping throughout to build its textures. Free from deliberate embellishment, the painting stands as a vessel holding the passage of immense time.

The visual focal point lies at the junction of heaven and earth. A fragmented ink ring is half embedded in the crimson land and half merged into the boundless void. Drawing on traditional circular aesthetics and freehand brushwork, the piece abandons perfect symmetry to embrace natural imperfection. At the boundary between reality and emptiness, it creates a unique artistic conception where form and formlessness, distinct imagery and hazy ambiance intertwine. With a raw, unrefined style, the work breaks away from the refined conventions of traditional painting, revealing the primal look of all things and presenting an unadulterated visual texture untouched by worldly artifice.

Centered on the core concept of the Unconscious Zero, the "Zero" here does not merely stand for emptiness. It represents the primordial state of the universe, prior to human cognition, judgment and definition. The piece interprets the inherent contradictions and integration embodied by this concept, maintaining a naturally unrestrained aura throughout. Tangible forms, intangible realms, rustic textures and boundless ambiance coexist and interpenetrate as a whole. The broken ring embodies tangible form; its gap symbolizes formlessness. The primitive textures convey rustic simplicity, while the expansive landscape manifests a sense of vast emptiness. These four elements blend seamlessly without rigid boundaries, stripped of subjective emotions and narrative storytelling. Crimson embodies the vibrant vitality of all growing things, and deep brown signifies the primal tranquility to which all life returns. Zero encompasses all existence and erases all distinctions; it gives rise to myriad forms and reduces all illusions to stillness.

Informed by the expressive techniques of Western Abstract Expressionism, the work delves deep into the origin of all beings and freezes the primal state of the world before things were named and categorized. It conducts an in-depth artistic exploration into the essence of existence, making it a remarkable representative of contemporary abstract art.