Bamboo, plum, and rock 1743

Li Fangying created "Bamboo, Plum, and Rock" using ink on paper. This painting represents a tradition with deep roots, where the materials themselves carry cultural weight. Ink, made from soot, and paper, often from the inner bark of the mulberry tree, are foundational to the literati tradition. With these simple means, Fangying has created a microcosm, the scholar's rock symbolizing a whole world in miniature. Notice how the ink is applied. The varying densities create depth and texture, mimicking the rough surface of the rock, the delicate plum blossoms, and the slender bamboo. The apparent spontaneity of the brushstrokes belies years of disciplined practice, an engagement with both the natural world and the artist’s own inner landscape. The work invites us to contemplate the relationship between these materials, this making, and the broader philosophical context of its creation. It beautifully merges craft, art, and the essence of nature.