Beauty of the Void Freer Exhibit Shows Extraordinary Life and Work of Chinese Artist Shanren by Jessica Shyu Born a prince, ordained a monk, and died a lone hermit, Bada Shanren led a life that was far from ordinary. The Ming Dynasty prince became a monk after the fall of his familyís rule, but he returned to secular life 30 years lateróonly to suffer a mental breakdown, marry briefly, become a professional artist, and then die seeking harmony and solitude. With about a dozen pseudonyms and a life that spans from imperial courts to monasteries, few things are as intriguing as Shanrenís life, except perhaps his artwork. ìIn Pursuit of Heavenly Harmony: Paintings and Calligraphy by Bada Shanren (1626-1705),î now on display at the Freer Gallery of Art, holds one of the premier collections and studies of Shanrenís works. Remembered as one of the most inspirational painters and calligraphers in China, Shanren challenged himself to pursue unusual subjects and techniques, creating an artistic language all his own. ìBada is out of the canon,î said Stephen Allee, research specialist and co-curator of the exhibit. ìHe does things that a typical Chinese person would not do Ö blurring what [one] would normally exp ect.î Shanrenís earliest painting hints at his disregard for traditional artwork. ìLotusî is a collection of eight lotus images and is one of only a handful of pieces in the world dating back to Shanrenís period of monkhood. A strong trace of Buddhism lingers on the paintings, particularly in Shanrenís use of the lotus, which was regarded as a sign of purity and rebirthóa subject matter seen throughout his career. However, it is not completely clear if the lotuses are the paintingsí true subjects. As in many of his other pieces, Shanren ìleaves a void in the center of the painting whereas other pictorial elements are dangling around the painting frame, so thatís really unusual,î said Joseph Chang, associate curator of Chinese art at the Freer and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery. ìItís like a close-up focus, but the close up is on nothing.î Although Shanrenís subjects and techniques are often quirky, there tends to be a sense of melancholy throughout his works. ìSince he just lost his family and his dynasty, does that mean the world is empty or broken apart? That there is really nothing in the center for him,î asked Chang, suggesting a motive for Shanrenís empty focal points. For centuries, scholars and visitors have been pondering similar questions about Shanrenís artwork. With few clues to the details of his life or the inspirations behind his work, he remains an enigma. ìHeís so mysterious; even today, scholars havenít been able to figure out his real name,î Chang said. ìVery much like his life, when he writes poems or [left] inscriptions on paintings, he always left room for different interpretations.î Many scholars interpret the melancholy and angry overtones seen in some of his paintings and poems as examples of political frustration. Displayed front and center of the gallery, ìLotus and Ducksî is a humorous scroll painting of lanky lotuses towering over the page against the face of a rock. The center of the piece is left void, but two ducks, one positioned high on the rock and the other on the ground, bring the picture to life. With their necks stretched at an odd angle and their eyes rolled back to show their pupilsóa symbol of great anger and rage in traditional Chinese cultureóthe painting cannot help but strike a slightly humorous tone. But to Allee, this was ìmore than just an angry duck.î Fury is seen in many of the unusual animal subjects Shanren drew, including catfish and grasshoppers, and many scholars interpret this anger ìas a political statement over the [loss of the] Ming Dynasty, the loss of his former life, and of the new regime,î Allee said. At that time, it was not wise to openly voice oneís political opinions, so artists often veiled their political stances in their artwork. Thus, while the messages would be clear to the audience, paintings such as ìLotus and Ducksî could still be innocently interpreted as just an angry duck, Allee explained. But despite all the interpretations and questions surrounding Shanrenís art, ìultimately the answer is your own because there is not a categorical definition of what he was doing or what he meant to do,î Allee said. Shanrenís calligraphy also took mind-boggling turns from tradition. Although Chinese characters are usually written in standard script and each character fits into a particular square-like shape, Shanren stretched his words in different directions, Chang said, sometimes visually combining two characters into one and expanding partial characters into the next one, ìcreating a visual confusion.î Known for his keen intelligenceóhe passed the most difficult Chinese Civil Service exam in his late teens and surpassed his teacher in the monastery to become an abbot in his 30sóShanren worked hard to stretch his artistic abilities by collecting, studying, transcribing, commenting and recreating the works of previous masters. Likewise, contemporary Chinese artists, such as Qi Baishi and Chang Dai-chien, emulated Shanrenís masterpieces and sometimes to uncannyóand illegalóimitations. Dai-chien, one of the most famous 20th-century Chinese artists, was found forging Shanrenís artwork for the marketóa market, Chang noted, in which Shanrenís work is still found to be yielding high sums at auctions and galleries. The artwork in the Freer collection is from the estate of Fred Fangyu Wang, one of the most prominent Shanren scholars, and his wife, Sum Wai. Over time, the Yale University professor and his wife assembled the worldís largest and most critical Shanren private collection, the core of which is on display in this exhibit. The collectorsí son also donated Wangís lifelong research archive, making the Freer Gallery of Art the premier center to study the elusive Chinese artistís work. ìIn Pursuit of Heavenly Harmony: Paintings and Calligraphy by Bada Shanren (1626-1705) From the Bequest of Wang Fangyu and Sum Waiî runs through Oct. 12 at the Freer Gallery of Art, 12th Street and Independence Avenue, SW. For more information, please call (202) 357-2700 or visit www.asia.si.edu. Jessica Shyu is an editorial intern for The Washington Diplomat.