THE SYMBIOSIS OF TAO AND ART: THEORETICAL RECONSTRUCTION OF TAOIST PHILOSOPHY IN CONTEMPORARY ART
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55197/qjssh.v6i5.841Keywords:
Taoist philosophy, Taoist aesthetics, Wu Wei, Taoism, contemporary art, Chinese paintingAbstract
This study is dedicated to examining the practical applicability of Taoist thought in contemporary art, systematically sorting out the core concepts of its theoretical system that have practical guidance significance, and exploring the paths of creative transformation of these concepts in a variety of art mediums. Using a combination of iconographic interpretation, documentary evidence, and cross-cultural comparisons, the thesis focuses on the visual transformation mechanism of Taoist core propositions, such as the concepts of nature, life, and the universe, in contemporary art practice. The thesis firstly constructs a theoretical framework of Taoist aesthetics, then selects representative traditional landscape paintings as research examples, and deeply interprets the creative concepts of two ancient artists who were deeply influenced by Taoist philosophy; based on this, the thesis focuses on the creative use of Taoist elements by contemporary Chinese artists and draws a parallel with the relevant practices in the international art world. Through the dual perspectives of temporal evolution and co-temporal difference, this study not only demonstrates the universal value of Taoist thought beyond time and space but also shows how contemporary art creations can respond to the ecological crisis and spiritual dilemmas faced by modern society by activating the Taoist wisdom, the philosophical discourse of “Taoism follows nature” in traditional painting theory is given new connotations and transformed into a new art form that is both contemporary and contemporary. The philosophical discourse of “Taoism and Nature” in traditional painting theory is given a new connotation of the times, transformed into an artistic language with both critical consciousness and aesthetic tension, and ultimately realizes the organic fusion of traditional philosophy and modern visual expression in the context of globalized art.
References
[1] Brubaker, D.A., Wang, C. (2015): Paths of contemporary Chinese ink art. In Jizi and His Art in Contemporary China: Unification. – Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer Berlin Heidelberg 19p.
[2] Chen, G. (2018): The humanist spirit of Daoism. In The Humanist Spirit of Daoism. – Brill 232p.
[3] Cheng, F. (2006): Souffle-esprit: Textes théoriques chinois sur l’art pictural. – POINTS 256p.
[4] Goldin, P.R. (2003): AC Graham, tr. Chuang-tzŭ: The Inner Chapters. Indianapolis and Cambridge, Mass.: Hackett, 2001. x+293 pp. Harold D. Roth, ed. A Companion to Angus C. Graham's Chuang tzu: The Inner Chapters. Society for Asian and Comparative Philosophy, Monograph 20. Honolulu: University of Hawai’i Press, 2003. 243 pp. – Early China 28: 201-214.
[5] Guo, D., Mi, D., Cui, Z. (2022): Painting into gardens: The influence of Chinese traditional painting on garden making. – Journal of Landscape Research 14(5): 93-96.
[6] Le Guin, U.K. (1998): Lao Tzu: Tao Te Ching: A Book About the Way and the Power of the Way. – Shambhala Publications 112p.
[7] Liangzhi, Z. (2006): Fifteen lectures of Chinese Aesthetics. – Peking University Press 548p.
[8] Qi, Z. (2024): The Taoist spirit of traditional Chinese aesthetics. – In The Spirit of Traditional Chinese Aesthetics, Singapore: Springer Nature Singapore 47p.
[9] Rivenc, R. (2025): Cai Guo-Qiang: The Artist's Materials. – Getty Publications 160p.
[10] Shouyun, G.U.O., Lan, Y.A.O. (2023): The artistic interpretation and aesthetic expansion of Zhuangzi’s theory of “traveling in the heart of things.” – Journal of South China Normal University (Social Science Edition) 9p.
[11] Xiang, W. (2024): Hubert Damisch's interpretation of the “trait” in Chinese painting and calligraphy. – Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art 44(2): 10p.
[12] Zehou, L. (2023): The Humanist Ethics of Li Zehou. – State University of New York Press 270p.
[13] Zhang, G.Y. (2020): Making a canonical work: A cultural history of the Mustard Seed Garden Manual of Painting, 1679–1949. – East Asian Publishing and Society 10(1): 73-113.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 ZIFAN YANG, MOHD FUAD MD ARIF, YUNLONG WANG

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.