Ms. Yahong Shen, a resident of Lexington, will have her Chinese Brush Painting solo exhibit in the Fred S. Piper Gallery, Cary Memorial Library, November, 2006.

Ms. Shen received her Doctor of Design degree at the Graduate School of Design, Harvard University. Beginning her traditional Chinese brush painting practice under the guidance of Mrs. Catherine Chan, founder and president of the Foundation for Chinese Performing Arts, Ms. Shen has made Chinese brush painting her passion for years. Her artwork has appeared in solo and group exhibits in Boston, Wellesley, Chelmsford, MA, and Sorrento, Maine during the past two years.

Traditional Chinese painting has its unique style, using ink, rice paper, and calligraphically writing skills. The composition of Chinese painting incorporates objects, blank spaces, calligraphically writings or poetries, and seals.

There are similarities between Chinese and Western painting as far as types of brush marks are concerned, but the two are very different in their methods of presentation. In both Chinese and Western painting, a distinction is made between formal likeness and spiritual likeness, and in both styles formal likeness is achieved. But Chinese painting has long freed itself from the constraints of form and shifted its focus to the spirit.

“Poetic sentiments, picturesque language,” “painting in poetry, and poetry in painting”-- these are some common sayings on the affinity between painting and poetry. In other words, a painting must have a soul, and the soul is the artist's original conception. A good landscape painting is one that gives the viewer the feeling that he is actually in it. It should have an ever-present aura. It can be compared to a good portrait in which not only the physical likeness of the sitter is captured but also, more importantly, the spirit.

Ms. Shen’s artwork presented in the exhibition are her paintings of recent years, grouped into two major categories: flower-bird paintings, including various flowers, birds, fruits and trees with significant symbolism in Chinese thought for hundreds years; and landscape paintings. You are very welcome to visit her Website inkfun.net to learn more about her artwork.

Please enjoy the Chinese brush paintings Ms. Shen presents to you with her skills, her heart and her soul.

Ms. Shen will be present in the Piper Gallery on Saturdays in November from 2-3 pm to meet patrons and discuss her work.