In a conversation with the architect C. Y. Lee, Shiy De-jinn said, “In Chinese painting, artists must reach their seventies or eighties in order to produce their most outstanding piece of work. This is particularly true for the art of calligraphy, that one can never reach one’s peak until ‘the person and the work are both in maturity’. This is something that does not exist in the work of Western artists. I think Chinese people value personal cultivation and exaltation, which is an extremely sublime state. Lastly, one has to be immense, humble, vigorous, hidden and modest, giving the viewer a sudden shock and a transient stimulus.”

At the last stage of his life, Shiy focused on exploring ink wash with his strong personal style. He had received training in traditional craft, Western sketches, oil painting, pastel, and watercolor when he was young, creating a place for himself in the art scene. As he got older, he began to realize that his ultimate concern should be his own life experience.

He respected the excellence of Chinese ink and tried hard to explore his own style by diligently practicing calligraphy, paying attention to the skill of ink wash in his later works. He did not adopt traditional texture strokes but painted vast lands with a powerful application of ink. His bold innovation in ink wash painting helped him reach another pinnacle in his artistic achievement. “Landscape of Lan-yu” is not completely an ink wash. Shiy mixed colors into the shades of gray before applying the pigment on the canvas. This way, the gray shades may reveal colors with various tones, while different gradations of ink may wash into the various layers. The artist then used his brush to sketch the structure of the mountains and the rocks. The white space that the brush passes creates the effect of light and shadow, brilliantly showing Master Shiy’s mature and confident demeanor.