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.

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

As the title implies, this work is relatively simple in terms of design. A thin, long branch lies horizontally at the lower part like earth, and two metal rods are placed vertically like two rivers. The sun-like orange stone at the top is quite eye-catching. The fretwork of Chinese tracery that represents a natural flower is directly installed in this work. A minimalist scenery unfolds spontaneously.

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.