Photography with Chinese soul ---- Hu Jiaxing

I have seen a lot of back and white photography in the past, a lot them had touched me with their silently restrained strength and emotion. I love the unique power in the simplicity of black and white. The quiet expression always intrigues people and causes them to seek for more details.

The photography I want to talk about today is from a series called 灵山(La Montagne de l'âme in French, Ling Mountain in English) by Chinese artist Hu Jiaxing. The artist started practicing Chinese calligraphy from when he was ten, and I can see the influence very clearly in his works. I had very similar experience in my childhood since I grew up with a very strict family, I started practicing calligraphy since I was about 8. I practiced for two years under my parents' supervision. Familiar with the art and the process, I immediately sensed the connection between his black and white photos and traditional Chinese calligraphy.

Before showing you the photos I want to explain to you how the Chinese calligraphy process works. I remember when I was little, everyday before I start 'writing' with calligraphy brush I had to grind the Chinese ink on a grinding stone (砚台, also called ink stone in English) with a rectangular stone piece. The Chinese ink is very thick, so we usually add a little water as we grind it. We are supposed to do it slowly and firmly in one direction with a peaceful mind and pace. During the grinding process the ink and water slowly joining each other, mixing up harmoniously; the rich, strong and thick black color of the ink, occasionally reflecting the light...

This picture says it all, by the artist, unintentional or not. His love of traditional Chinese calligraphy influences his work, and would be clear to anyone familiar with the process.

And here is another one. Not as strong as the previous one, but the body of the tree still shows a trace. The next few show more about Chinese calligraphy itself (the dark black color and the movement of the strokes) then the texture and form of the ink.

If you wanna see more, here is the link of this series http://hujiaxing.com/projects/montagne-de-lame/