Nostalgia Unsettled by Lin Wei-Hsiang

Dwelling in the mountains, it has always been Lin Wei-Hsiang’s goal to create the realm where the mind and spirit can settle and sublimate. May it be called landscape or shan shui, Lin’s painting reveals a tranquil realm of pure beauty built up with countless layers of dyeing. There is a yearning of Lin’s affections for the mountains, water, trees and clouds, amongst which his body and mind is laid-back and settled. For Lin, nostalgia is not for his birthplace, but for the origin of the soul, where he has never been to and cannot prove its existence. Once he said, “For over a decade, there is only a single theme in my practice, that is to search the origin of the soul.”

Presenting past and recent works simultaneously, “Nostalgia Unsettled” reveals the course of Lin’s pursuit, during which he has come across new landscapes, new understandings, encountered new challenges and limitations. Lin cherishes all the experiences for each breakthrough transcends him to a higher level of inner energy. Recently, Lin’s work gradually departs from realistic depiction to abstraction. Spiritual yearning and pursuit are expressed through Imagined landscapes. Occasionally, landmarks from the real world would appear in his landscapes, reminding us that however metaphysical the pursuit may seem, it is still rooted in the real-life experience. Like many of us, Lin strives towards his goal through life’s ups and downs, attempting to settle his body and mind in the summer heat and winter coldness. He takes challenges with a good grace, devoted to find the ultimate state of beauty and pureness. Brilliant energy generated from his faith and is turned into heart-touching landscapes of mountains and trees, of water and clouds. Here nature breathes calmly and time flows tranquilly, perhaps just like the origin of the soul that the artist yearns for, full of vitality and everlasting pureness.