For Ma Jin’s Solo Exhibition
Song Yongxin
May 26, 5.2022
Blue Roof
“I don’t like painting, but in this final semester I have released three years, and a lifetime before that, of pent‑up feelings.” In this message, Ma Jin clarifies his relationship with art: he dislikes treating painting merely as a display of technical skill, as others often do. He seeks catharsis in his work, projecting his life experiences and emotions into his art. In other words, creation is Ma Jin’s own necessity—not just completing an assignment, nor creating to satisfy the value judgments of others. This active, self‑driven consciousness is exceptionally rare among the graduation works of students at our institute, and it is precisely this consciousness that imbues his work with passion and power.
Truthfully, I knew little about Ma Jin beforehand. He was a graduation student supervised by Wang Ying, and I only met him for the first time when Kang Haitao and I visited the diploma exhibition of the three‑year college program. Perhaps due to the competitive pressure of advancing to a bachelor’s program, students from the college class have always struck me as comparatively reserved and humble. Yet they are remarkably diligent in class, their demeanor revealing a determined intensity, as if contending with something, devoid of the restlessness and perfunctoriness common among many bachelor’s program students. At first meeting, Ma Jin carried an aura not much different from his peers—youthful, timid, slightly nervous around teachers. However, once the conversation turned to his own creations, he would eagerly flip through his phone to show his works, talking incessantly with a firm and unwavering gaze…
In terms of painterly language, most of Ma Jin’s works combine mixed media and Expressionism, with materiality being a primary expressive element. Splashed paint, passionate brushstrokes and textures, melted wax, ropes piercing through the canvas, and cold wire… His works contain almost no recognizable imagery, breaking free from painting’s representational and narrative functions to engage instead with the intrinsic relationships of the medium itself: material, structure, color, tonal values. Although he may not consciously trace these visual experiences to specific artists or movements, fragmented visual learning has clearly been internalized into an instinctive response, lending his work a distinct resonance with the abstractionism of the 1950s and ’60s.
The methodology of early modernist abstract painting explored the possibilities of the medium through its planar elements. Historically, however, such an approach risked leading to stylistic formula and a loss of the artist’s social experience, resulting in a lack of spiritual depth. Consequently, in its later stages, one faction of abstract artists moved beyond painting toward conceptual and installation art, while another pursued the expression of spirituality through abstract form. It is heartening to see that Ma Jin is not confined to further technical refinement or creative inertia. In another part of his oeuvre, we see a conscious exploration, an attempt to seek variation in both language and expression. For example, in one series, he partially painted over sections of discarded figure studies by former students, transforming the complete, representational human forms into scattered, flattened fragments of body parts, demonstrating a clear conceptual painting awareness. In another piece that initially appears as a mixed‑media painting, he suspends an old kitchen knife bound with wire in the upper part of the picture plane. The knife is held by a wire clasp, but if released, it slides down along the inclined wire path to the other end of the composition. The blade strikes a twisted knot of wire blocking its path, producing a percussive sound, giving the work a distinct exploratory quality of kinetic installation. Ma Jin says the sound of the knife sliding and colliding in the quiet of the night excites him deeply.
Emotion, individual consciousness, lived experience—Ma Jin projects these into his creations, maintaining a fervent creative drive and deriving great enjoyment from the process itself. I believe this very pleasure and experience the work brings him is the core motivation for his creation, beyond any external factors. His work exhibits a conscious desire for expression, born from an embrace of the unknown within the artistic process. This craving and dedication to the unknown fully embodies the essential qualities of an excellent artist and is a driving force in the development of art. Such a state is especially precious amidst the widespread pragmatic anxiety and utilitarian tendencies common among university students today.
Of course, Ma Jin’s work also reveals evident areas for growth: relative inexperience in wielding his visual language and a need for deeper research and reflection on art‑historical developments. However, if he persists in a serious and dedicated engagement with art, these issues will naturally resolve themselves. “I feel I might be somewhat different from other classmates, but I *want* to be different!” Ma Jin’s sense of isolation is only part of the challenge he faces; he will confront the larger, pressing realities of survival, especially in today’s climate of significant international and domestic change. Nevertheless, we should feel encouraged by the emergence of an artist like Ma Jin. His presence serves as a vital stimulus to the overall learning atmosphere of our institute, acting as an effective “catfish” in our pond. As teachers, all we can do is offer our wishes, hoping he can negotiate skillfully with reality and find a path requiring the least compromise. The road in art is long and arduous. The rest, we leave to time.
Truthfully, I knew little about Ma Jin beforehand. He was a graduation student supervised by Wang Ying, and I only met him for the first time when Kang Haitao and I visited the diploma exhibition of the three‑year college program. Perhaps due to the competitive pressure of advancing to a bachelor’s program, students from the college class have always struck me as comparatively reserved and humble. Yet they are remarkably diligent in class, their demeanor revealing a determined intensity, as if contending with something, devoid of the restlessness and perfunctoriness common among many bachelor’s program students. At first meeting, Ma Jin carried an aura not much different from his peers—youthful, timid, slightly nervous around teachers. However, once the conversation turned to his own creations, he would eagerly flip through his phone to show his works, talking incessantly with a firm and unwavering gaze…
In terms of painterly language, most of Ma Jin’s works combine mixed media and Expressionism, with materiality being a primary expressive element. Splashed paint, passionate brushstrokes and textures, melted wax, ropes piercing through the canvas, and cold wire… His works contain almost no recognizable imagery, breaking free from painting’s representational and narrative functions to engage instead with the intrinsic relationships of the medium itself: material, structure, color, tonal values. Although he may not consciously trace these visual experiences to specific artists or movements, fragmented visual learning has clearly been internalized into an instinctive response, lending his work a distinct resonance with the abstractionism of the 1950s and ’60s.
The methodology of early modernist abstract painting explored the possibilities of the medium through its planar elements. Historically, however, such an approach risked leading to stylistic formula and a loss of the artist’s social experience, resulting in a lack of spiritual depth. Consequently, in its later stages, one faction of abstract artists moved beyond painting toward conceptual and installation art, while another pursued the expression of spirituality through abstract form. It is heartening to see that Ma Jin is not confined to further technical refinement or creative inertia. In another part of his oeuvre, we see a conscious exploration, an attempt to seek variation in both language and expression. For example, in one series, he partially painted over sections of discarded figure studies by former students, transforming the complete, representational human forms into scattered, flattened fragments of body parts, demonstrating a clear conceptual painting awareness. In another piece that initially appears as a mixed‑media painting, he suspends an old kitchen knife bound with wire in the upper part of the picture plane. The knife is held by a wire clasp, but if released, it slides down along the inclined wire path to the other end of the composition. The blade strikes a twisted knot of wire blocking its path, producing a percussive sound, giving the work a distinct exploratory quality of kinetic installation. Ma Jin says the sound of the knife sliding and colliding in the quiet of the night excites him deeply.
Emotion, individual consciousness, lived experience—Ma Jin projects these into his creations, maintaining a fervent creative drive and deriving great enjoyment from the process itself. I believe this very pleasure and experience the work brings him is the core motivation for his creation, beyond any external factors. His work exhibits a conscious desire for expression, born from an embrace of the unknown within the artistic process. This craving and dedication to the unknown fully embodies the essential qualities of an excellent artist and is a driving force in the development of art. Such a state is especially precious amidst the widespread pragmatic anxiety and utilitarian tendencies common among university students today.
Of course, Ma Jin’s work also reveals evident areas for growth: relative inexperience in wielding his visual language and a need for deeper research and reflection on art‑historical developments. However, if he persists in a serious and dedicated engagement with art, these issues will naturally resolve themselves. “I feel I might be somewhat different from other classmates, but I *want* to be different!” Ma Jin’s sense of isolation is only part of the challenge he faces; he will confront the larger, pressing realities of survival, especially in today’s climate of significant international and domestic change. Nevertheless, we should feel encouraged by the emergence of an artist like Ma Jin. His presence serves as a vital stimulus to the overall learning atmosphere of our institute, acting as an effective “catfish” in our pond. As teachers, all we can do is offer our wishes, hoping he can negotiate skillfully with reality and find a path requiring the least compromise. The road in art is long and arduous. The rest, we leave to time.
Song Yongxin
May 26, 5.2022
Blue Roof
Self-portrait
40x50cm
Oil painting,
acrylic paint, 2022
Meeting
120×150cm
Curtain fabric,
nylon rope, candles,
acrylic paint, 2022
The Running Lamb
150×180cm
Rope, cardboard,
checkered shirt,
gloves, plastic bag,
candle, acrylic paint, 2022
C
leaner
40×50cm,
Rope, Acrylic
Paint, 2022
40×50cm,
Rope, Acrylic
Paint, 2022
C
Cleaner
50×50cm,
Gloves, Mud, Acrylic
Paint, 2022
50×50cm,
Gloves, Mud, Acrylic
Paint, 2022
The distant cousin of the primitive people
80×150cm,
Mud, cotton cloth, acrylic paint, 2022
80×150cm,
Mud, cotton cloth, acrylic paint, 2022
Neighbor is a Fly
30×45cm,
Mud, Acrylic Paint, 2022
30×45cm,
Mud, Acrylic Paint, 2022
Expired Wallet
30×50cm,
Oil painting fragment,
sand, acrylic paint, 2022
30×50cm,
Oil painting fragment,
sand, acrylic paint, 2022
Like a Human's Dog's Bottom
30×40cm, Sand,
Ink, Acrylic Paint, 2022
30×40cm, Sand,
Ink, Acrylic Paint, 2022
Good Friday
120×150cm,
Linen, ink, acrylic
paint, 2022
120×150cm,
Linen, ink, acrylic
paint, 2022
Last but not least, it's also the first.
120×150cm.
Gold foil, iron powder, acrylic paint. 2022
120×150cm.
Gold foil, iron powder, acrylic paint. 2022
My mathematics was
taught by the PE teacher.
60×80 cm,
acrylic paint, 2022
taught by the PE teacher.
60×80 cm,
acrylic paint, 2022
The screen I stole is a
160×230cm
old screen, ink, oil pastels,
rope, acrylic paint, 2022
160×230cm
old screen, ink, oil pastels,
rope, acrylic paint, 2022
The screen I stole is a 160×230cm
old screen, ink, oil pastels, rope, acrylic paint, 2022
Dad,
60×80cm,
ink, acrylic on
fabric..2022
60×80cm,
ink, acrylic on
fabric..2022
＜Mother＞,
60×80 cm,
white powder,
discarded oil painting,
mixed materials.2022
Peac
120×240cm,
ink, linen, wire, nails,
saliva, mud, acrylic
on wood panel.2022
120×240cm,
ink, linen, wire, nails,
saliva, mud, acrylic
on wood panel.2022
Fantasy is Arrested,
80×100cm,
ink, cotton rope,
wire, gloves, opaque
yellow tape, acrylic on linen.2022
Thief
130×150cm,
iron wire,
acrylic paint, 2022
Background actor,
130×150 cm,
acrylic on linen fabric.2022
130×150 cm,
acrylic on linen fabric.2022
The painter dismantling a radio,
130×150cm,
acrylic on linen.2022
130×150cm,
acrylic on linen.2022
Public Official,
200×300 cm,
Acrylic on linen.2022
200×300 cm,
Acrylic on linen.2022
"Prison Chronicles",
120×160cm,
Acrylic on linen fabric.2022
120×160cm,
Acrylic on linen fabric.2022
"Hybrid of Domestic
Pigs and Dogs",
30×60 cm,
Acrylic on Linen.2022
Pigs and Dogs",
30×60 cm,
Acrylic on Linen.2022
"Hybrid of Man and Sheep", 60×60 cm, Acrylic on linen.2022
"Man in the Mud", 30×45cm, Mud, Rope, Linen on Acrylic.2022
"Dragonfly Preying on Cicada, with a Sparrow Following Behind",
130×150cm, string, linen with acrylic paint.2022
＜The Patient Who Is About to Become a Tree＞, 150×170cm,
iron pipe, rice paper, rope, ink, plastic products, linen fabric, mixed media.2022
＜Samurai = 3.14156＞, 30×40 cm, wire, wooden board, installation.2022
"School teachings and what I am doing", 60×80 cm,
iron wire, discarded oil painting sketches, curtain fabric, installation.2022
＜Notice＞, 200×230 cm, iron wire, jute, wooden frame, installation.2022
"Death in Sleep", 80 × 110 cm, wire, rope,
wooden board, discarded oil painting, mixed media.2022
＜The nightmare of childhood - When I was in primary
school, once my mother-in-law, my cousin and I slept in the same bed.
I buried my head in the quilt and smelled a foul odor. My cousin had
defecated on the bed＞, 40×60cm, canvas, table legs, installation.2022
"Classmate Sharing Money with Us", 140 × 180 cm, Sandpaper Acrylic Painting.2022
"Distance from the Epidemic and Reality by 1m", 170 × 200 cm, Mixed Media.2022
＜Compulsory Course＞, 80×110 cm, 30×40 cm, Linen fabric, Chain, Installation.2022
"My Grandmother Believes in Catholicism", 120 × 160 cm, wood, wire, cardboard, crucifix made of tiles, mixed materials.2022
"Japanese People in Confession", 60×80 cm, hemp rope, mixed materials.2022
"Facing My Real Self Soon", 130 x 160 cm, wax, hand, mixed materials.2022
"School teachings and what I am doing", 60×80 cm,
iron wire, discarded oil painting sketches, curtain fabric, installation.2022
"Having a certain purpose", 60×80 cm, 30×40 cm, mixed media.2022
"An Un Understanding Family", 80 × 110 cm, Mixed Media.2022
"Equivalent Exchange", 150 × 180 cm, Installation.2022
＜up = flowers＞, 230×320 cm, rope, dried roses, mixed materials.2022
"Reasonable Asymmetry", 240×240 cm, acrylic on canvas, 2022
＜Waiting for the Vacation＞, 110×135cm, Acrylic on canvas, 2022
No. 29, 130×130 cm, Acrylic on canvas, 2022
From Opposition to Support, 120×160cm, Acrylic on canvas, 202
＜Crowd＞, 20×30 cm, acrylic on canvas, 2022
(Among the crowd), 80×120 cm, acrylic on canvas, 2022
"My former principal embezzled
200,000,000 RMB", 20×30 cm, wood panel acrylic, 2022
200,000,000 RMB", 20×30 cm, wood panel acrylic, 2022
＜Top: Dancers, 20×50cm, Bottom: Kissing Couple,
120×180cm＞, Candles, Mud, Rust, Latex Mixture, Mixed Media 2022
"Paintings Done the Day Before Leaving School",
Oil paints, pencils, acrylics, mixed media, 110cmX135cm.2022
"Path from the hometown to the city", 50×80 cm, mixed media, 2022
＜The Person About to Die＞, 40×50cm, Mixed Media, 2022
＜Buttocks＞, 200×300 cm, Mixed media, 2022
"Find Your Own Way", 130 × 160 cm. Mixed media, 2022
＜Remains＞, 160×180 cm. Mixed media, 2022
"Kissing Stone", 20×30 cm. Mixed media, 2022
＜？＞, 50×80 cm. Mixed media, 2022
"Crystal Lamp in the Room", 130 x 230 cm. Mixed media, 2022
"Confusion only makes everyone suffer." 100 × 230 cm. Mixed media, 2022
Throughout my entire university education, I hardly ever painted. I failed to engage seriously with even the necessary coursework assignments—to be precise, I did not know how to paint, and was only concerned about the grade I would receive or whether I would pass. This process reminded me of my more than a decade of prior schooling, during which I had always been learning how to be a "good student." In truth, I realized early on that I was not cut out for academic study. Even in high school, my dream was still to become an inventor. Unfortunately, to secure a university placement, I chose to become an arts specialty student in my second year of high school—a "curved path to salvation," as my scores likely would not have been sufficient for even the lowest-tier university. I was not even sure if I truly wanted to attend university.
Time passed quickly until the examinations. My scores were barely enough for an average college. However, an unexpected turn occurred: I missed the university application deadline due to misremembering the date. In China, this is considered a life event no less significant than marriage or having children. Unable to face my family, I falsely claimed that my exam results were unsatisfactory and expressed my intention to repeat the final year. Nevertheless, through a supplementary admissions process, I was admitted to Sichuan Jinjiang University. Although my family was relatively content with this outcome, I still chose to retake the exams and ultimately gained entry to one of Sichuan's top normal universities. For me, this was a form of reversal against the odds.
Thus, I drifted through university in a daze until the approach of graduation. It was only when my graduation project loomed that a single thought crystallized: I wanted to give myself a sense of closure, to allow my future self to tell my son or grandson, "Back in the day…"
Therefore, I made a decision: even if the school did not grant me a pass, I would do something I truly wanted from the heart, something different from others. At worst, I would repeat a year, but I would not allow myself to live with regret. Against this backdrop, my graduation project commenced. I located a disused area on the school rooftop, approximately 60 square meters, and gathered all the discarded frames left by former students across the campus. The artist Yang Chongguang greatly influenced my creative process; in fact, it was because of him that I began to paint. From February to May 2022, I completed the work. During the final week, when my supervising instructor came to review my progress, I brought him to the rooftop. The look of astonishment on his face remains vividly clear to this day—for my work filled the entire space, exceeding the combined output of several other classes, leaving almost no room to stand. My supervisor was both moved and excited, stating that he would request a solo exhibition for me from the dean.
Within a few days, he brought Professors Song Yongxing and Kang Haitao to the rooftop. They were equally stunned by the scene, but their reaction was one of greater delight. Ultimately, the three of them petitioned the university on my behalf, leading to my first solo exhibition. Arrows, wooden sticks, stones… I also became the first student in the history of the academy to receive institutional support for an individual exhibition. Even more remarkably, the university secured a grant on my behalf. It was unexpected, at the very end of my student journey, to receive such recognition—and it remains the only time I have been honored with an award to this day.