With his scientific approach towards experimentation along with his inventive, rebellious spirit, Liu Kuo-sung has become a legendary figure in the artistic circles of the Greater China Region. Beginning with the ink-extension method of the early 1960s and the waterextension method of the mid-1970s to the ink-staining method of the mid-to-late 1980s, Liu continued to innovate on his painting style and technique throughout his artistic career. “The essence of art is creation, and the foundation of creation is theory, which comes from thought”. Keenly aware of this, Liu always reminded himself to create rather than copy or mimic. The modern Chinese painting style he is a proponent of is an individualized and progressive expression of one’s artistic vocabulary. During the process of pioneering new techniques with the ink and brush, ancient Chinese paintings styles suitable for the present are preserved. Through books, exhibitions, lectures and seminars, Liu Kuo-sung’s artistic power and originality have gradually expanded his influence. He is held in extremely high regard by scholars, art critics, art collectors and other prominent figures in the art community. Over 80 art museums around the world have collected his art. Observing the trends in the auction market in recent years, Liu Kuo-sung is one of the names you cannot miss along with Zao Wou-ki and Chu Teh- Chun.

This piece, titled “Garden of the Peaches of Immortality”, was completed in 1989. As can be seen, structure is employed as part of the two-stage composition. The lower portion of the arc is highlighted by the abiding atmosphere brought forth by the Chinese brush, allowing the lyrical landscape. The white texture reminiscent of the surface of mountains and rivers is created by the paper pulling technique. Viewing this piece of art, viewers gain the privilege of stepping into the boundless mind of the painter, becoming liberated from the material world to feel the power of the heavens and the infinite vastness of the universe.
Liu Kuo-Sung has applied his unique techniques for depicting the visual structures of landscapes to all kinds of vast and striking terrains. Without the goal of objective reproduction factoring into his practice, he finds ways to play with the ink so that the abstract forms subtly express the heartfelt emotion Liu puts into his work. At the same time, the natural landscape takes on its own subjective conscious — a self-expressive feeling that balances the internal with the external and sings an eternal melody for human life. More indirectly, there is also a certain implication of a Chinese cultural ethics that can be found in Liu's work — an understanding of the circle of life present in his art practice. Beyond this spiritual nature of the work, there is also a manifest sentiment for the tradition of Chinese ink painting reproduced through Liu Kuo-Sung's innovative techniques, which so lucidly bring out the majestic beauty of the natural landscape.