Appreciating Paintings
Guanting Li
Details
- Artist
- Guanting Li
- Title
- Appreciating Paintings
- Year
- 2025
- Medium
- colour ink on rice paper
- Size
- 134 x 67 cm
Provenance
the artist
Exhibited
Guanting Li: Harmonies, Lauraine Diggins Fine Art, Melbourne, 12 April - 31 May
Further Information
远看山有色，近听水无声。
春去花还在，人来鸟不惊。
甲辰年 五月
棲山
English Translation of text in the painting:
From afar, mountains show their colors;
up close, the water flows silently.
Though spring has passed, flowers remain in bloom;
even as people approach, the birds stay calm.
May, Jiachen Year(2024)
Qi Shan (PS：Li’s Courtesy name)
Background :
这首诗的作者是王维，唐代著名诗人、画家。
诗的名字叫做《画》，是一首描写画中景象的五言绝句。
The author of this poem is Wang Wei, a renowned poet and painter of the Tang Dynasty.
The poem is titled Painting(describes a vivid yet tranquil painting), and it is a five-character quatrain depicting the scene within a painting.
It reflects Wang Wei’s style of blending poetry, painting, and Zen philosophy — capturing stillness, timelessness, and a deep sense of peace.
在中国传统文化中，“字”是人在成年后取的表字，用来补充或展现本名之外的志向、品格或理想。
字棲山，意思是此人的字（表字）叫“棲山”，寓意如山般沉稳安定，心灵栖息于自然之间，体现出淡泊、自在、高远的精神境界。
In traditional Chinese culture, a “zi” (courtesy name) is a name given to a person upon reaching adulthood, often reflecting their character, aspirations, or ideals, in addition to their given name.
Zi Qishan (字棲山) means that the person’s courtesy name is “Qishan,” symbolizing a soul as steady as a mountain, finding peace and belonging in nature, and embodying serenity, independence, and lofty aspirations.