CHENG YANG

Version 2

Listen With Incense: Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden, Hong Kong

2024

In superficial terms, the act of ‘burning incense’ may seem to result in the incense burning down to ashes, and falling into dust; however, within the flow of time, incense culture acts as a growing tree, taking root and gradually flourishing in our lives. Ms Ho Pui Han, an ‘incense tree expert’ in Hong Kong, once told me: ‘The higher the incense tree, the deeper its roots.’ Regardless of whether this statement has been scientifically verified, I still believe that even if the roots of the incense tree do not reach the height of the trunk, with the addition of the millennia-old incense culture, its roots must surpass the original height of the trunk. In the process of my creation, I use burning incense sticks to draw patterns on blank canvas, which can depict tree roots, branches, or serve as a bloodline for connecting different social groups and generations. Throughout this process, the dappled shadows of trees resemble the natural projections adorning my brushstrokes that let them grow; as the wind blows through the branches, leaves fall into the canvas and integrate with it, while the wind also influences the path of my burning incense. Therefore, the authorship of this drawing does not solely belong to me; nature joins as a collaborator in the creation, acting as both painter and musician, contributing to a symphony dominated by the sounds of wind and birdsong.

“燃香”這個行為從表面上來看，香燃燒殆盡化為香灰，落於塵土，但香文化卻在流淌的歲月裡化作一棵樹，在我們的生活中生根發芽並逐漸枝繁葉茂。香港的”沉香專家“何佩嫻女士曾經對我說過：沉香樹的樹有多高，根就有多深。不管這句話有沒有經過科學驗證，我依舊相信即使沉香樹的樹根沒有達到樹幹的高度，但加上了延續千年的香文化後，它的樹根一定超越了樹幹本來的高度。 我在空白的紙上用燃燒中的線香燙出紋路，整個圖案可以是樹根，也可以是樹枝，還可以是連結不同社會群體以及不同代人的血脈。在我創作的過程中，樹影的斑駁就好像是大自然的投影點綴著我任其生長的筆觸；風吹過枝頭，樹葉飄落到了畫中與其融為一體，而風也影響著我線香燃燒的路徑。所以這幅畫的作者不單單只有我一個人，自然以合作者的身份加入到了創作中，它既是畫師也是音樂家，還貢獻了一場以風聲與鳥鳴為主的樂章。