Early Abstract Experiments – 江演媚 JIANG, Yanmei

Early Abstract Experiments mark my initial departure from documentary photography into the realm of abstract painting. This series serves as a foundational exploration of how to translate cultural heritage and personal identity into non-representational forms.

《早期抽象实验》标志着我最初从纪实摄影向抽象绘画领域的跨越。这个系列是我如何将文化遗产和个人身份转化为非具象形式的基础性探索。

Driven by my childhood training in traditional Chinese calligraphy, I began to approach the canvas not as a surface for depiction, but as a space for action. In these formative works, I sought to capture the “Qi” (vital energy flow) inherent in calligraphic brushstrokes, focusing on the speed, pressure, and rhythm of the hand.

受童年传统中国书法训练的驱使，我开始不再将画布视为描绘的表面，而是将其视为行动的空间。在这些成型期的作品中，我试图捕捉书法笔触中固有的“气”（生命能量的流动），专注于手部的速度、按压和节奏。

The color palette in this series is highly intentional, drawing directly from traditional Chinese cosmology and cultural practices. I experimented extensively with the colors of the Five Elements (Wu Xing)—wood (green), fire (red), earth (yellow), metal (white), and water (black/blue)—to establish structural harmony. These foundational tones are frequently disrupted by vivid flashes of red and gold, echoing the vibrant, saturated colors found in traditional Chinese festival rituals, such as Nianhua (New Year prints) and temple offerings.

这个系列的色彩组合是经过刻意设计的，直接汲取自中国传统宇宙观和文化实践。我广泛尝试了五行（木-绿、火-红、土-黄、金-白、水-黑/蓝）的色彩，以建立结构上的和谐。这些基础色调经常被鲜艳的红色和金色打破，呼应了中国传统节日仪式（如年画和寺庙祭品）中那种充满生机、高饱和度的色彩。

Through these early works, I developed the gestural vocabulary and the ritualistic color systems that would eventually define my larger, more immersive atmospheric paintings.

通过这些早期作品，我发展出了后来定义我那些更大尺幅、更具沉浸感的氛围绘画的书写性词汇和仪式化色彩系统。