Allison Liu Daisong | Fancy Shan-Shui

Courtesy of the artist

Allison Liu reimagines the traditional genre of Shanshui (meaning “mountains and water” in Chinese) painting with a striking contemporary sensibility. Fancy Shan-Shui depicts a towering cliff set against a radiant orange sky. Painted in contrasting tones of indigo blue, moss green and deep black, the mountain has a sculptural presence. Its dramatic vertical height and rhythmic lines suggest ascent, transformation and energy held in stillness. The painting blurs the boundary between nature and the mind, a prime example of classical notions of Chinese landscape painting as a means of contemplation rather than objectively depicting scenery.

Liu has presented solo exhibitions at Art Stage Singapore, The American Club and Singapore Yachting Festival. She has also authored texts on celebrated Asian artists such as Xu Beihong, Lim Hak Tai, Chen Wen Hsi, Cheong Soo Pieng and Yeo Hoe Koon. She holds a Ph.D. in Aesthetics from Renmin University of China and is the founder of Song Art Foundation Singapore.