In his 2006 solo exhibition “Still Life,” Tsai Ken presented a series of wall-mounted works that imitate the pictorial charm and artisticity of Chinese ink wash painting.

[Outside Scenery] is one of his wall-mounted works.

The twig serving as the central axis of the composition and the row of stones on the lower left collectively outline a garden with trees and stones. This work involves the element of tracery in Chinese architecture. Embedded at both sides of the work, the traceries not only serve as ornaments, but also suggest that windows are right there through which the viewer can see the “outside scenery.”

There is no such thing as formal criteria for the use of materials in Tsai’s wall-mounted works. A stone could be a layer of cloud, a pebble, or a pedestal. If we look at his works only from the perspective of Western abstract sculpture without referring to Chinese ink wash imagery, we’ll be unable to recognize the mountains, forests, clouds, and windows from the lumps and lines of the materials, nor will we be able to appreciate the tranquil and contented delight in the spatial composition of Tsai’s works.