Westbund Art & Design 2026: Booth 1A08 | Raymond Fung, Ren Tianjin
3812 Gallery is pleased to announce its participation in Westbund Art & Design 2026, presenting a dual solo exhibition by artists Raymond Fung (b. 1952) and Ren Tianjin (b. 1962).
Together, Fung and Ren weave a poetic scroll of Chinese contemporary art. Fung’s contemporary ink works are like a gentle breeze passing over water, where the agility and tranquillity of ink tones resonate; his brushstrokes move as if with the rises and falls of mountain ranges, echoing the heartbeat of the earth. Ren’s sculptures, by contrast, resemble a dance between two-dimensional and three-dimensional space; the collision of traditional calligraphy and contemporary media creates an intertwined beauty. Together, the two artists explore contemporary interpretations of traditional art forms and offer profound reflections on contemporary social life.
Fung’s series of works demonstrate his distinctive perspective on and innovative spirit in ink art. In the “18 Shades in Ink” series, traces of his early training are faintly visible, including echoes of the Lingnan School’s colour washes and vestiges of Lui Shou-kwan’s brushwork. This richly varied group of ink-and-colour works is like a series of windows leading viewers toward their own inner landscapes. The “Breathing” series reflects the ecological awareness behind Fung’s long-standing architectural work: he uses cling film to press pigment onto the surface of the paper in order to simulate the “breathing” of the natural landscapes under his brush. After the cling film is peeled away, the final image oscillates between diffused colour and sharp lines; the seams formed where colour concentrates delineate semi-abstract scenes, and the surface is filled with texture and misty tones, resulting in one extraordinarily compelling, captivating ink painting after another. Fung’s works not only demonstrate a reinterpretation of traditional ink painting but also present profound reflections on contemporary social issues, prompting viewers to contemplate the ecological health of the earth.
Ren’s artistic practice spans calligraphy, painting, and sculpture. It is rooted in tradition yet not bound by it. Long immersed in traditional Chinese calligraphy, Ren became aware of the divergence between Eastern and Western artistic perspectives after extensively studying Western contemporary art. Drawing inspiration and insight from this, he began to explore composition, brush momentum, and other elements beyond the “linguistic” aspect. Ren’s sculpture is the most groundbreaking part of his practice—through deconstruction and reconstruction, it gives traditional calligraphy renewed vitality in a contemporary language. In his paintings, Ren skilfully uses painting tools to layer calligraphic brushwork with the force of a palette knife, and ink washes with oil-painting texture, forming a highly personal visual language, as seen in the “One Stroke” series based on the original strokes of calligraphy. In recent years, he has also used Pu’er tea as a medium to create a series of calligraphic and landscape works with a distinctive style.
