Ink

Discover this beautiful, intricate artform and its sense of historical continuity and relationship to the natural world. Published to accompany Tate’s first ever exhibition dedicated to the enduring and profoundly philosophical practice of ink painting, this stunning book showcases more than 80 works, organised around three themes — ‘Life’, ‘the Garden’, and ‘Breath’. While ink painting is widely practised across East Asia and its diasporas, Ink focuses on key artists in mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan who helped reinvent it for the twentieth century. Each found new ways to honour the tradition while pushing it forward — boldly experimenting, yet staying true to its core principles. By tracing the connections between these artists, Ink reveals a vibrant regional network and challenges familiar Western narratives of modern art, including ideas of originality, expressionism and the avant-garde. Featured artists include Qi Baishi, Luis Chan, Irene Chou, Yuan Jai, Li Keran, Liu Kuo-Sung, and Lui Shou-Kwan.