Opening this December is the latest exhibition of work by the acclaimed Chinese contemporary artist Dachan – his first in the UK.

The show is preceded by a launch event, Together We Fly: The Art of Dachan, held at the British Museum on November 25th, 2018. This included music performance – a Tongxi concert – while the artist created poetry calligraphy in front of distinguished guests.

Other presentations on the world tour have included the National Art Museum of China, Palace Museum, Macao Science and Culture Center, and Hong Kong Cultural Centre, as well as galleries in the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, Singapore, Japan, South Korean, Thailand, Russia, Italy and Germany.

The exhibition, described as ‘a global journey of spiritual culture guided by the theory of unity through art’, features a full survey of Dachan’s works, including color paintings, lotus ink wash paintings, figure paintings, and calligraphy. Produced over a a ten-year period, these works will be shown alongside a video presentation in which visitors are invited to experience the world of Buddhism through virtual reality technology. The combination of the two will immerse visitors in the world of Dachan’s creations.

Dachan – also known as Zisong Xuanzhu (Master of the Lilac Pine Pavilion) – is an autodidact and a child prodigy who fell in love with poetry, calligraphy and painting at a very early age. He achieved Zen enlightenment on the basis of a gradual understanding of aesthetic subtleties. His poetry has a primitive simplicity and naturalness, drawing upon the principles of calligraphy; and his calligraphy draws upon the principles of painting, while his painting draws upon the principles of nature; and together they all are imbued with the spirit of Zen.

His artworks are grounded on, but not restricted by classical forms, as he has his own distinctive style. His thought encompasses the new and unfamiliar, as well as the profound and remote. At a time of intense Eastern and Western cross-cultural contact, Dachan has created this exhibition with the aim of connecting with people who share the same values in hopes that everyone can learn from each and achieve common progress so that together we may spread the essence and beauty of both Eastern and Western culture throughout the world and make a significant contribution to the development of human civilization.

Dachan’s work is rich in content, superbly executed and highly individualistic, and their poetic, calligraphic and pictorial aspects are intimately integrated. With preeminent creativity, it presents the quintessence of Chinese traditional ink wash painting in a contemporary manner. The work organically integrates the inner spirit of Chinese modern art with a Zen sensibility, deploying ink wash methods rooted in Chinese culture to portray the changelessness of life, rekindling our understanding of nature and life. His works restore a historical aspect to contemporary artistic trends through a keen sense of the times. The unique artistic language and vitality of his works imperceptibly lead viewers to have a positive and joyous outlook on life.