Since ancient times, Zhejiang has been a center of literati culture and during the 1980s when Wang Tiande was a student, it was one of the most important centers of experimental art in China. Unlike many of his contemporaries who rejected traditional Chinese methods of expression, Wang Tiande embraced it as a source of inspiration. As he has said: “While my friends turned to oil painting, I redefined ink painting and calligraphy, the most value-laden of China’s art forms.”

For the Digital Series of 2004, Wang Tiande created a series of works in which inscriptions in running script were glimpsed through layers of Chinese hand-made paper, the surface if which was punctuated by freely executed characters burnt into the surface. Developing this technique, for the current exhibition he has created a remarkable six meter long scroll based on the scenery around Mount Gushan in Hangzhou, China. This is accompanied by a series of photographs in which the same imagery is created using different means. As Zheng Shengtian has remarked: “Every time Tiande burns paper, “ashes of words” remain on the floor of his studio. Now, he piles up these ashes in the Shape of mountains. Then, by using a camera and computer, he recreates remarkably life-like landscapes. At first glance, this is merely playful, but in reality it embodies deep philosophical meanings. The ashes of traditional culture, re-made by the artist, are given infinite vitality.”