It is also unable to avoid Yang’s “calligraphy” while we discuss his art. First, the “curves of graphology” that runs through each period of Yang’s works has a profound relationship with calligraphy. Second, there was one clue of abstract artistic experiment in contemporary art, which could be directly traced back to calligraphy. Third and the most important, calligraphy itself, which focuses on the “direct corresponding of writing and heart” in spirit as well as focuses on the “relation between stroke structures” in form, has the same basic appeal with the Western abstract art, and also was the key of understanding all kinds of Chinese art forms.

The“curves of graphology” in Yang’s works that run through each phase of his creation is a fatal language element in his paintings. The origin of this element lies in the interaction between personal graphology and spiritual feeling of calligraphy, while the harmonic cadence and rhythm in the motion of Yang’s curves come from his obsession and appreciation of music. Those artists with crowning achievements in Western abstract art field such as Kandinsky and Mondrian, also had their profound comprehension and devotion for music.

Yang Liming has practiced calligraphy since his childhood and owns high perception and control ability of“graphology”, that is to say, he’s provided with the condition precedent. There are obvious changes in Yang’s curves at each creation period. Such as in his “blue period”, the curves were painted in very thin pigments, though there were pulses, the fluctuation were overall balanced and gentle, with simple overlaps, made the appearance of paintings innocent, and all the feelings of romance, sorrow and confusing were light, more of strokes of indiscrimination coming out with music.

In his period of red, the huge hollow arc takes up the center part of Yang’s painting. The graphology of curves is reduced, the nature of strokes fades away, those dense oil paints are pushed and shoved again and again with curved strokes like to draw on the sands or split the surface of water, and finally form a round shape that almost closed. There seems to have some moving energy, which is having a contest insides and hard to calm down. 

Beyond all questions, there is not the“images”(Xiang; 像) of general meaning in Yang’s paintings, but the “nature”(Xiang; 相) instead. Is it so called “one’s face is shaped by one’s heart” (相由心生) in ancient Chinese, which means everyone has his/her inner feelings, while the formation of the “nature of one’s heart” or the “inner world” is a consequence of feelings’ long-term accumulation in the heart. 

Following the changes of his inner world, Yang Liming’s artistic creations are destined to change. Nevertheless, “The methods used may vary, but the principle stays the same”, that is to say, “variant in style, same in nature” in calligraphic theory, and “formless form (Animitta)” in Buddhism. 

Yang Liming (b.1975, China) was born in Sichuan Province, China in 1975, graduated from the Art College of Sichuan Normal University in 1999 with bachelor degree on oil painting. Currently lives and works in Beijing.