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Yuan Jai: I am here to plant seeds
袁旃：我到为植种
我到为植种，我行花未开。
岂无佳色在，留待后人来。
这是弘一法师1935年在惠安净峰寺留下的诗。
因缘感怀，艺术家袁旃在不同的时刻书写过这首诗，每每随着生命阅历、心境的变化，书写的痕迹有着细致入微的变化。
在这样言简意赅的诗行之间，未来的种子看似不经意地播下，从此生根发芽。
以此为触点，《我到为植种》的个展将深入至袁旃艺术创作隐含的书法线索，进而将以往隐性的书法线索显现在展览情境中，邀请大家在空间中和这些作品相遇，更为直接地体悟袁旃对“书画同源”探索的另一种路径：她所关注的，不仅是通过汉字结构本身所具有的视觉性思考和其中所承载的文化信息，进行融合语言和绘画界限的实验；更进一步是将书法性用笔所连带的创作者自身身体动作和心灵思维的同一性，转化成当代艺术表达中的整体经验。
与之相应，《我到为植种》将承继着上一回袁旃个展《暧暧内含光》（2022）开启的议题，将此探索视为一个连续的过程。有之前观展印象的朋友，可能会在接下来的访问中发现这两个展览之间有趣的空间关联和互动：《暧暧内含光》展出的部分绘画作品，将再次出现展览现场，其中涉及到的相关书法，此次从感受的背景移至前景；独立的书法作品，又如平行时空一般述说着绘画中的意味。
袁旃在她所经历的生命时间中，真实地面对着中国艺术所发生的根本性的嬗变，由此在不同的时间节点中，不断地展演出“书”与“画”之间、“书画同源”与“书画共生”之间的相互缠绕。
从3月19号开始，镜花园邀请朋友们进入这个春意盎然的“植种”现场。
笔墨的生机和它所承载的生命经验将如何融为一体？《袁旃：我到为植种》希望能和大家分享这样一个持续更新和不断追问的过程。
艺术家简介
生于1941年，袁旃的艺术历程已经跨越了大半个世纪。于台北故宫工作多年之后，她在四十多岁之际矢志重拾画笔，以其长年累积的艺术能量，传达出变化多样的构思。袁旃自创作以来便以对中西艺术史的深刻理解与对中国传统独树一帜的观照方式为基础，积极尝试各种中国绘画的革新方案，除了形式的创新之外，更提出了中国绘画在题材与色彩上更多的可能性。藉由自身中西文化的丰富学养，她常在其艺术创作中融汇丰富的中西艺术史和文化史的各种元素。
Yuan Jai: I am here to plant seeds
I am here to plant seeds
There haven’t been blossoms when I leave
Is there not beauty in potential
These will be left for future generations to appreciate
The poem was written by Master Hongyi (1880-1942) in 1935 at Jingfeng Temple in Hui’an, Fujian province, reflecting a thoughtful and generous perspective toward a future beyond the present moment. Feeling a sense of fate, the artist Yuan Jai has inscribed the poem at different moments of her life. With each iteration, the traces of her brushwork subtly shift, echoing the transformations in her life experiences and state of mind.
Between these concise yet profoundly poetic lines, the seeds of the future seem to be sown effortlessly, laying down roots and sprouting from that moment onward. Taking this as a point of departure, the exhibition I am here to plant seeds delves into the latent calligraphic traces within Yuan Jai’s painting practice. It seeks to bring these once-hidden elements into perceptual awareness, inviting viewers to encounter the works within the space and directly experience an alternative path in Yuan Jai’s exploration of “Shu Hua Tong Yuan”(the shared origins of calligraphy and painting).
Yuan Jai’s focus is not only on experimenting with dissolving the boundaries between language and painting through the visual considerations inherent to the structure of Chinese characters and the cultural information they carry, but also on further transforming the unity of bodily movement and mental perception – intrinsic to calligraphic brushwork – into a holistic experience within contemporary artistic expression.
In response, the exhibition I am here to plant seeds continues the inquiries initiated with the exhibition, Light Within in 2022, developing this exploration of her artistic practices as an ongoing process. For those who have experienced the exhibition Light Within, these works of calligraphy may reveal intriguing spatial connections and interactions between the two shows. Some of the paintings previously exhibited will reappear in the current exhibition, but this time, the calligraphic elements—once embedded as part of the perceptual background—will be brought to the foreground. At the same time, certain independent calligraphic works, narrate the meanings interwoven with the paintings, much like parallel universes.
Throughout her lifetime, Yuan Jai has engaged deeply with the fundamental transformations of ink art, continuously enacting the intricate entanglement between “calligraphy” and “painting,” as well as the interplay between their shared origins and their mutual coexistence. Starting from March 19, Mirrored Gardens invites friends to enter into this field of “planting seeds.” How do the vitality of Bimo (brush and ink, and their interaction in creating artworks) and the life experiences they carry merge into one? Yuan Jai: I am here to plant seeds seeks to share with you this ongoing process of continual renewal and inquiry.
Artist’s Biography
Born in 1941, Yuan Jai’s artistic journey has spanned more than half a century. After working for many years at the Palace Museum in Taipei, she made a resolute decision in her later forties to return to painting, channeling her accumulated artistic energy into works that convey a diverse range of ideas. Since the beginning of her practice, Yuan Jai has drawn upon her deep understanding of both Chinese and Western art history, as well as her distinct perspective on Chinese traditions, to actively explore innovative approaches to Chinese painting. Drawing from her rich knowledge of both Eastern and Western cultures, Yuan Jai seamlessly integrates elements from art and cultural histories into her work.
维他命艺术空间
袁旃：我到为植种
时间
2025年3月19日- 7 月 20 日
地点
镜花园，空间1
地址
广州市番禺区化龙农业大观园内
日常开放时间
周三至周日，13点至17点 （周一，周二闭馆） 如遇节日或特殊情況将可能调整开放时间，届时敬请关注公众号和网站上的通知。
如您计划来访参观，请提前通过镜花园官方网站“预约来访”页面进行预约。
网址: mirroredgardens.art
微信: mirroredgardens
电话: +86 20-31043759
镜花园电邮联系: mail@mirroredgardens.art
媒体联系：PR@vitamincreativespace.com
Vitamin Creative Space
Yuan Jai: I am here to plant seeds
Dates
March 19 – July 20 , 2025
Venue
Mirrored Gardens, Space 1
Address
Hualong Agriculture Grand View Garden, Panyu, Guangzhou
Daily Opening Hours
Wednesday to Sunday, 1 to 5pm (closed on Monday and Tuesday)
Hours may vary on holidays or in special circumstances. Please check our WeChat Public Account or website for the latest updates.
Please make an appointment to visit the exhibition via the official website of Mirrored Gardens.
Website: mirroredgardens.art
WeChat: mirroredgardens
Tel: +86 20-31043759
Contact: mail@mirroredgardens.art
Press: PR@vitamincreativespace.com