Master of the big picture

Sketching (2016), by Pan Gongkai.[Photo Provided to China Daily]

Even in retirement, Pan Gongkai continues to be a painter, an architect, a writer and a theorist. And he is now preparing for a solo show in Hong Kong. Deng Zhangyu reports.

Pan Gongkai, 70, the son of modern ink painting master Pan Tianshou (1897-1971) is a busy man these days.

The only person that has been president of China's top two art colleges - the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing (2001-14) and the China Academy of Art in Hangzhou (1996-2001), is probably working harder now than when he was younger.

Even in his retirement, he continues to be a painter, an architect, a writer and a theorist.

Pan is now preparing for his solo show to be held in Hong Kong on Nov 25.

It will feature 30 works mainly produced in the last three years, including a 6-meter long multimedia installation Melt.

The installation was first exhibited at the Venice Biennial in 2011, and depicts snowflakes composed of Roman letters falling and melting on water lily painted using Chinese ink.

The bulk of ink paintings to be displayed focus on the lotus, and are presented in freehand brushwork style, typical of Pan.