傳統的國畫，如何透過吸收西方思想，進而產生一些新的思潮或者新畫種？香港藝術家石家豪將中國工筆畫現代化，他將工筆畫與現代題材相結合，嘗試在這個範疇開拓一些新面貌。
How does traditional Chinese painting absorb Western ideas to produce new trends of thought or new types of painting? The Hong Kong Artist Wilson Shieh modernizes the traditional Chinese Gongbi. He wishes to open up some new variety in this field by combining Gongbi with some modern themes and ideas.
在香港中大大學藝術系畢業之前，石家豪曾經在香港大學讀過一年建築。然而，就是這一年的經歷令他學會如何欣賞現代建築並對其產生興趣。後來在畫工筆畫時，石家豪認為香港城市主要還是以商業大廈居多，反而傳統國畫中的高山流水並不常見。因此，他便透過將人和建築合拼在一起，嘗試將各種商業大廈融入他的畫中。
Before graduating from The Chinese University of Hong Kong with an MFA, Shieh actually studied architecture at the University of Hong Kong for one year. It was this year’s experience in the HKU that taught him how to appreciate modern architecture and become interested in it. Later when Shieh began his Gongbi paintings, he thought that the Hong Kong city was packed with commercial buildings. The mountains and rivers in traditional Chinese paintings were not as common. Therefore, Shieh attempted to integrate the various commercial buildings into his paintings by combining people and buildings together.
現代建築充滿直線，要令它們能夠穿上人的身體，需要一些方法去研究如何轉換這些筆直的線條。所以石家豪的作品也涉及一個設計過程，將現代建築重新設計，變成衣服。他的畫裡面除了有傳統的畫技和現代的題材之外，還有屬於他自己獨一無二的設計。
Modern buildings are full of straight lines. It takes some research to fit these lines on the human body. So there is also a process of design in Shieh’s works, redesigning modern buildings into clothes. In addition to traditional painting techniques and modern themes, his paintings also have unique designs which remarkably blend these elements together.
時裝是當代最普及的設計物品。石家豪認為這裡頭其實有很多藝術知識和有意思的設計供我們參考和學習。然而，他覺得純粹畫一個普通人去試一些衣服並沒有什麼特別之處。就畫中的主角而言，石家豪認為明星是一個不二之選。首先，明星都是一些大家都認識的人物，這樣更容易引起觀眾的共鳴。其外，明星在拍電影時會根據不同角色的身分和所處的時代而擁有不同服裝，這些五花八門的服裝給予了他更廣闊的創作空間。
Fashion is the most popular design item in the contemporary era. Shieh believes there is plenty of artistic knowledge and interesting designs for our reference and learning. However, he felt that it would be mundane to just paint an ordinary person trying on some clothes. Therefore, for the protagonist, Shieh believes that celebrities are the best choice. Firstly, celebrities are people that everyone knows, it is easier to resonate with the audience. In addition, when making movies, stars will have different costumes according to the identities of different characters and the ears they live in. The variety of costumes provides more room for Shieh’s creativity.
工筆畫是一個主線，但石家豪也有嘗試其他畫種。他最近便嘗試在紙皮箱上繪畫中國瓷器的圖案。瓷器本身是一些很精巧、易碎的東西，而紙皮箱卻是粗糙和相對耐久的。他認為這個對比很有意思，便將兩者放在一起，把青花轉移到紙皮箱上面。石家豪的很多創作都是圍繞著中國傳統藝術的精髓，將其現代化，從而令它更適合現代人觀看。
While Gongbi is mainline, Shieh also attempts other styles. For example, in one of his recent projects, Shieh tried to paint Chinese porcelain patterns on cardboard boxes. Porcelain, by nature, is delicate and fragile; but the cardboard boxes are rough and relatively durable. He thinks this comparison is very intriguing, so he put the two together and transferred the blue and white to the cardboard box. Many of Shieh’s creations aim to highlight and modernize the quintessence of traditional Chinese art. He wants to make it aligned with the aesthetics of modern people.
Photo Courtesy of the Artist