A Banquet

Li Jin’s paintings are full of ardent passion for the earthly world and at the same time, an overwhelming grief over mortality. They unravel the splendor of earthly indulgence and pierce deep through to the grandeur of the eternal. His works open the pores of the senses, pores which open access to the great door of spirituality . The disparity between sensual hedonia and imminent mortality produces the tension of art. This tension reaches its ultimate beauty in the sensuality of European Baroque art. In China, there is no model or basis for Li Jin's bold sensuality, it is found neither in the naturalistic paintings of China's Tang and Song Dynasties, nor in the literati paintings in the following centuries which were based on inner experiences and moralities. Li Jin's raw exposure of sensual yearnings would have induced panic and horror in the literati artists. Nevertheless, Li Jin's work references a deep and thorough understanding of literati paintings in his work. For the artist the subject of "Food” opened up a new terrain of ironic exploration against tradition. The aesthetic charisma produced by following and breaking through traditions is impressive. To each of the contemporary Chinese ink painting artists, traditions offer comfort and knowledge, while the real world, in counterpoint, stirs up inspiration and creation. But in the end, the painter can only rely upon his inner self.