Lion Woods 1983

Wu Guanzhong created ‘Lion Woods’ using ink and colour on paper, presenting us with a landscape that feels both familiar and dreamlike. The composition is dominated by organic shapes, a dance of black ink dots, pale washes and delicate lines that define the rock formations. Wu masterfully balances abstraction and representation. The rocks, while suggestive of a natural landscape, are rendered in a style that deconstructs traditional Chinese landscape painting. The artist uses a semiotic system, a visual language where each element—the dots, lines, and shapes—acts as a sign, creating a complex interplay of meanings. Ultimately, ‘Lion Woods’ challenges fixed perspectives, inviting us to reconsider the relationship between abstraction and figuration. The formal structure of the artwork, particularly the tension between chaos and order, serves as a powerful means of expressing the complexities of seeing and understanding the world around us.