The paintings of Tzu-chi Yeh combine a strongly classical feel with pronouncedly modern composition. Both Yeh's training as an artist and his spiritual cultivation reflect a broad, deep immersion in both Chinese and Western culture. In "Shamao Mountain in May," the artist emphasizes the dialog between the mist and the hill. Besides the employment of elements from minimalist art, there is also a compositional variation similar to that seen in the paintings of Southern Sung Dynasty artists such as Ma Yuan (with his preference for painting just small sections of a landscape) and Hsia Kuei (noted for his diagonal composition technique). By utilizing the way light and shadow, bright and dark set one another off, Yeh is able to take the exploration of the contrast between the sense of proximity and distance, and of the spatial variation in the scene, to a new level; the precise control of changes in color and color tone creates a marked sense of warmth and quietude. Tzu-chi Yeh's landscapes are characterized by a deep feeling of vitality, and embody the essence of formalist thought. Perceptive and yet humble, Yeh successfully integrates his own experience of life and the places he has visited to draw the viewer into the artist's spiritual world, to join in exploring what seems like a shared memory of the union of man and earth.

Dr. Kin Tsuei Chang (Ph.D. in Art Education, New York University)