10.9.2024 - 05.10.2024
        

Inklings of the Heart: A Dialogue with Ou Da Wei

 

Q: Dad, people say you work diligently by writing and painting every day without fail, rain or shine, for decades. How do you feel about that?

A: Ha-ha, that’s not true at all. How can a person be like a machine? Even machines need rest. The notion of doing the same thing every day for decades is a total exaggeration; I can’t endure that.

 

Q: So when do you engage in your creative work?

A: When I feel like it.

 

Q: What do you mean by “feel like it”?

A: Feeling is a kind of emotional trigger, the manifestation of emotions like joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness that we ordinary people experience. Art is one form of these expressions, and I personally think it’s the most enjoyable.

 

Q: But how can you create artwork when you are furious?

A: (Laughs) I don’t mean that I create immediately when I have emotions; that’s entirely impractical. But feelings can linger unconsciously, and emotions will eventually calm down. When you recall certain things, some emotions come back. As the saying goes, “Just thinking about it can make you happy for a while.” Or when you see something beautiful or a magnificent landscape, your heart stirs, and naturally, you want to describe it in your own way. For example, once I painted a spring scene. After, I still felt inspired and added the poem: “I do not believe in desolate highlands, spring winds entice me to write about cloud waves…” on the painting. In short, artistic creation is a record of feelings, and the works inevitably carry emotions.

 

Q: You master many forms of art. Do you always “following your feelings” when creating?

A: Absolutely.

 

Q: How do you decide which form of art to use for expression?

A: To be brief, if I want to be concise, I choose seal engraving, where a few words can explain everything. If I have more to say, I choose calligraphy, which can include poetry or other literary forms. If I have ample time and am inspired by magnificent scenes, then I naturally express it through landscape painting.

 

Q: Some critics say that you stubbornly use traditional tools in your calligraphy and painting, always using paper, brush and ink. Why don’t you try modern tools?

A: Master paper, brush, and ink in a lifetime is not easy. I personally enjoy the feeling of freely expressing myself with these tools when painting or writing; this is called “sticking to what is good.”

 

Q: What has kept you devoted to art for over sixty years?

A: The term “devotion” doesn’t quite describe my relationship with art. If you know it’s painful but still grit your teeth and endure, that’s devotion. But I gain happiness from art, and I pursue the improvement of my works, striving for perfection. This is a love for art.

 

Responder: Ou Da Wei

Questioner: Antony Ou

During the “Great Heat” in 2024