When Harsha Das, a senior Indian Railways official, had to relocate to Taiwan with her diplomat husband four years ago, she developed her understanding of the local culture through art classes.
“I used to paint as a hobby since childhood. In Taipei, I was attracted by the beautiful artworks in ink and decided to learn the ancient Chinese technique of painting,” she says.
In July 2023, Harsha held his first exhibition at the Taipei National Central Library. It received encouraging reviews and inspired him to continue the art after returning to India last summer. She is now exhibiting a collection of 17 Huaniyao paintings titled Looks from the East for a discerning audience in Delhi at the Lalit Kala Akademi.
His strikingly different work highlighting a distinct sub-genre of Chinese ink paintings on rice paper highlights the painterly talent of a keen student who worked hard to master the strokes in a short period of time. In Chinese, huan is flower and niao is bird and they symbolize the resilience and beauty of nature and ink paintings are one of the cornerstones of Chinese civilization.
Chinese Ink Painting by Harsha Das | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Huanjiao ink painting originates from the Tang Dynasty and developed at the hands of successive generations of masters. It achieved its artistic zenith in the Song dynasty in imperial China and gradually spread beyond China’s borders to East Asia, Korea, and Japan.
Harsh finds a skilled old school teacher in Jean-Tzi Wang. “He is a living repository of knowledge about traditional techniques and skills and he helped me master the craft of ink painting,” says Harsh, who is now posted as Chief Personnel Officer, Northern Railway, Delhi.
The paintings, made on durable and versatile handmade rice paper or silk, typically feature flowers, birds, water, mountains, trees, and landscapes. Scholar artists developed a free hand or Xiyi style of blown ink painting as opposed to the classic outline or Gongbi style painting, making the two schools of Huanjiao painting very distinct.
Harsha follows the classic style and also uses a lot of colors in her work for vibrancy. She says, while she was undergoing rigorous training under her teacher, the initial classes were difficult as one had to learn the teacher’s way of teaching and progress was made in small steps.
“Chinese ink painting is a science; You learn how important preparation of ink, color, palette and patience are. “A breath at the wrong time, a flick of the wrist at the wrong time or even an extra drop of water can ruin hours of hard work,” she says, adding, “You Learn to move with what you are creating as breathing fills your brush strokes. You cannot create unless there is peace and harmony within you.
Harsha Das’s Huaniyao ink painting on display at the Lalit Kala Academy. Photo courtesy: Shiv Kumar Pushpakar
The initial months are just about getting the posture right; Holding and washing brushes correctly, having a separate brush for each stroke, made of hair from different parts of the animal’s body; Learning the strokes and preparing the correct shades of ink for the bamboo leaf and bamboo stem (a small strip is made by burning different types of wood and collecting soot, which is then rolled and placed on a special plate with some pressure on the bottom Rubbed at an angle) Everything is measured in a vessel with water and the ink slowly bleeds from black to brown).
“One needs flair to learn the art as it is physically tough as one has to stand and complete a painting, preferably in a day otherwise the naturally occurring ink loses its colour. I worked hard for 10 hours a day, but until I got the stroke right, my teacher did not allow me to move on to the next stroke,” recalls Harsh.
“It can be frustrating because teachers don’t allow you to paint as you want. But, once you develop a passion for art, you are guided by its philosophy. It has opened up a new world of spirituality for me,” she says.
It was difficult for Harsha to convince his teacher to tell him the secret technique of coloring the fish with ink. She says, “Painting that appears simple, natural and intuitive to the viewer actually requires a long learning process of skills and techniques, powers of observation, control over self and equipment, and an unprecedented focus.”
She says that in a tough art scenario, her determination to acquire skills and dedicated practice enabled her to focus on her subjects sooner than she and even her teacher expected.
Harsha’s Huaniyao ink painting on display at the Academy of Fine Arts | Photo Courtesy: Shiv Kumar Pushpakar
One of his large-sized and favorite ink paintings titled ‘A Competitive Schooling with Nine Fishes’ can be seen in the exhibition. He completed it in one go in 15 hours and described the experience as “fulfilling”. Harsh has got four more attractive ink paintings of fish installed. “It is not easy to paint them given the strokes and the many layers of color, but painting them has brought peace to me,” she says.
As much as there is beauty, joy and happiness in his canvases, balance is an essential element in his paintings. Harsha’s mastery enables him to deal with any living non-human form, including insects and domestic animals. An understanding of the significance of various animals, birds and flowers in Chinese culture and folklore and some familiarity with the Chinese language helps to better appreciate the painting and the meaning hidden within it.
Harsha Das with his Huaniyao ink paintings Academy of Fine Arts | Photo Courtesy: Shiv Kumar Pushpakar
“The rich heritage of traditional techniques is handed down by teachers for generations to their favorite students. I feel honored that I was such a student,” she says.
Gallery 4, Lalit Kala Akademi, at 35 Ferozshah Road; By January 13; 11 am to 7 pm
published – January 10, 2025 12:29 PM IST
