To think ink – Chinadaily.com.cn

Benoit Vermander, a French professor at Fudan University’s School of Philosophy in Shanghai, has found a liberating way of self-expression in Chinese ink paintings. Under the artist name Bendu, Vermander – also known by his Chinese name Wei Mingde – exhibits more than sixty Chinese ink paintings, most of which he has made over the past ten years.

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and France. The exhibition, which is part of the university’s celebration of the occasion, will run on the Fudan campus until Thursday.

Through the art in the exhibition, which focuses on themes such as animals, landscapes and people, visitors can learn about the artist’s intimate relationship with nature and everyday life, and see the integration of Western composition and Chinese ink painting skills .

Vermander’s story with Chinese ink paintings goes back three decades.

He was born in France in 1960 and has been fond of painting since childhood. However, vision and hearing loss made it difficult for him to improve his painting skills, as his brushwork was often criticized as not being “clean”.

The turning point came in 1987, when Vermander made his first visit to China and was enchanted by Chinese calligraphy.

“When I first came to China, I was shown calligraphic works. I was really amazed, both by the meaning and the dynamism of the inscriptions,” he recalls.

“I was very impressed with calligraphy as an art in which I could finally find my own way of expression. I also realized that I could create much more freely than in classical Western painting, because even the ‘non-beautiful’ part of my works that can be a good part of an ink creation. That’s why I decided to study classical Chinese and calligraphy.”

After three to four years of study, Vermander developed stable handwriting, a crucial skill in both calligraphy and ink painting. From 1994 he shifted his focus to painting with Chinese ink.