The morning light of spring filters through the window lattice of the art studio, casting dappled shadows on the rice paper. Spring, an international student from Turkmenistan, gently tucks up her sleeves, dips her brush in ink, and glides it across the white rice paper. As the ink blends and spreads, a weeping willow comes to life on the paper, swaying gently in the breeze. Its branches unfurl like a young girl’s hair, rippling softly in the spring breeze. The girl, who came to China by chance six years ago, would never have imagined that she would find solace for her soul in the art of traditional Chinese painting.
“I thought traditional Chinese painting could be mastered quickly, but I got stuck on holding the brush in the first class,” Spring recalled with a smile about her initial awkwardness. From following short TikTok tutorial videos to systematically studying under the guidance of Associate Professor Xu Shenyu of Northeastern University, she gradually grasped the profound meanings embedded in traditional Chinese painting—the imagination in blank spaces, the philosophy of ink and wash images, and the requirement for “resonance between heart and mind” in every stroke. When she added a bird to her painting on a whim, Ms. Xu enlightened her about “the beauty of blank space”. Then she finally understood that emptiness did not mean incompleteness. Instead, it boasted the wisdom of “every blank area becoming a wonderful realm”.
Beyond the classroom, Spring transformed her learning into a cultural adventure. In front of ancient paintings at the Liaoning Provincial Museum, she listened to her teacher explain the profundity of “drawing artistic inspiration from both within and without”. In the campus corridors, she discussed with classmates about the connection between “the resilience and tenacity of bamboo” and the character of a junzi (gentleman). “Traditional Chinese painting is like a door,” Spring said. “When you open it, you not only see techniques, but also observe how Chinese people perceive the world. In traditional Chinese painting, every mountain, river, blade of grass, and tree is imbued with cultural codes, embodying the realm of ‘harmony between humanity and nature’. These are not merely artistic symbols, but also the embodiment of Chinese people’s ideals of personality and philosophies of life.”
Nowadays, Spring has become a campus promoter of Chinese culture. On her social media accounts, she shares her bamboo paintings and interprets the poetic imagery of Tang poems in traditional Chinese painting, attracting a large number of followers at home and abroad.
“Traditional Chinese painting is a splendid treasure of Chinese culture, representing the integration of ‘poetry, calligraphy, painting, and seal carving’. Every stroke and line is imbued with unique artistic charm that touches people’s souls.” Traditional Chinese painting enabled Spring to understand Chinese aesthetics and wisdom, allowing her to find her own spring on the land of Liaoning.
