Painter bares his soul and frame of mind

Art, involving as it does an expression of talent and awareness to be placed in full public view, can be a lonely occupation. For many artists, the struggle to create is worth it when the audience can get a glimpse into the artist's soul.

Zhang Jiangzhou knows the struggles that must be overcome for the "soul" to be on show. The permanent artist and member of the Assembly of Fellows of China National Academy of Painting in Beijing is devoted to making his "soul whispers" heard by, and touch the heart of, those who view his paintings.

"Art is the most private part of an artist. It is the whispers of their soul, and a hidden pain they feel in the still of the night," Zhang says.

His career spans more than four decades. And the time has given Zhang a different perspective. His artistic endeavors, he says, have become an increasing labor of love as he continues to hone a style of his own.

He believes art is much more than just about a mastery of technical skills and making something pleasing to the eye. He says it is "a spiritual journey encountering many difficulties and demanding perseverance", and through this journey, excellence can be reached.

Zhang's exhibition, Soul Whispers, at the China National Academy of Painting ends on Sunday. Dozens of ink-and-water paintings and sketches made over the past three years are on display. It is part of the Not Alone on the Righteous Path series of exhibitions the academy has staged to highlight its resident artists.

Zhang's works show solid figurative technique. He is influenced by the style of German expressionism, but still retains the touch of refinement and aloofness, considered a hallmark in classical literati paintings from ancient China.

Zhang's focus has been on figure paintings. His works reflect thoughts on relations between people and cities, and between humankind and nature. He has been reinventing the way he works with ink to show the discontent, helplessness, struggles and hopes of his subjects.

One of his most famous paintings, The Journey of Divinity, was made in 1998. It depicts a group of devout Tibetans on pilgrimage and delivers an imposing feeling and a sense of collective spirituality.

At that time, Zhang mainly portrayed the day-to-day life of people in the countryside. In recent years, he has turned to depicting city dwellers and addresses overconsumption and spiritual emptiness among urbanites.

Works on display at Soul Whispers show his ink-and-water style of painting as a medium to discuss the mentality of metropolitan people.

Fan Di'an, the president of the China Artists Association, says Zhang is painting the spirit and soul of many people. "He always depicts the challenges and encounters of those at the grassroots, and he tries to picture the collective sides of human nature," Fan says.

"The biggest drive of his work is his sensitivity to the changes of the world and the destiny of ordinary people."

Instead of showing people's grief or happiness in a dramatic way, Zhang prefers to glimpse into people's inner world in a calm and reserved manner. His approach reflects an influence of the art of Bada Shanren, one of four great monk artists of the early Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

"I like Bada Shanren's depictions of gloomy landscapes and birds standing alone in snow in his work,"Zhang says.

"It is my firm belief that art should not be something a person handles or plays with in their spare time. The core values of art creation should be bringing comfort, conveying emotions and expressing ideals."

Zhang's paintings are like a collection of metropolitan fables in which he shows the audience how people's real life, and spiritual world, have been affected, and even distorted, by hedonism, materialism and overreliance on digital gadgets.

"When feeling lonely has become common among people today,"Zhang says, "only art can save them from the spiritual predicament and make them feel bright and delighted again."