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Made of bronze or ceramic in various shapes, the ding
(or ting) is an ancient Chinese vessel dated back to Shang Dynasty
(circa 1600 – 1046 BC). The ding is a symbol of power; possession of
the legged vessel is often associated with dominion over the land.
Legend has it that even before Shang, King Yu the Great of Xia
Dynasty (circa 2070 – 1600 BC) had a set of nine dings made when he
divided his territory into nine provinces, and that possession of
all nine was a “mandate of heaven” to rule all.
Chinese-American artist Aiqin Zhou took it as her task to recreate
Nine Dings through art to interpret the ancient history and
traditional culture of China. Born and raised in Shanghai, China,
Zhou started studying art and calligraphy at the age of five. {Add
her experience/credentials here}
To Zhou, the essence of Chinese culture deposited in its rich
history is about spirit (jing), energy (qi), and soul (ling). She
sought to convey such essence through her paintings of nine dings
and the calligraphy behind each ding. From the first to the ninth,
her dings increase in size and represent different junctures in the
progression of Chinese history and culture. Zhou chose the
three-legged style of Zhou Dynasty ding as the three legs represent
heaven, earth, and mankind. According to the artist, Emperor Yu of
the Zhou Dynasty used the ding to celebrate his mother and father.
And to the artist, Yu created the balance of yin and yang, and
prosperity and peace. Zhou also happens to be the family name of the
artist herself.
Decades of studying of Chinese classics and philosophies led Zhou to
the contents of her calligraphy behind her nine dings. Most of the
texts were taken from the most important historical writing in
Chinese history – Records of the Grand Historian (Shi Ji) by Sima
Qian (circa 145 – 90 BC). She also used texts from other Chinese
classics. The texts were meant to convey the foundations and ideals
of Chinese culture, especially Confucian concepts of peace, love,
and harmony.
Zhou painted her nine dings using Chinese cursive style brush stroke
and Chinese materials combined with the three-dimensionality of
colors in Western art. The different values of Chinese ink take
vivid forms on traditional rice paper, bringing out the artist’s
concept in stunning force and lucid elegance.
Nine is the most important number in Chinese culture, associated
with royalty, abundance and prosperity. Aiqin Zhou not only chose to
paint nine dings, but to finish the work in the year 2009. It was
the year that celebrated her own first half century, and also the
year that marked the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relationships
between China and the United States, her motherland and her adopted
country. |
