Wesley Tongson "Purple/Orange" Tote Bag

Hong Kong artist Wesley Tongson (1957-2012) has been fascinated by ink painting since childhood. Using it as his primary medium, he constantly explores its many methods and effects, striving to find and express his own, authentic voice.
Trained in traditional ink painting, Tongson began to explore and teach himself splash ink painting, a technique that relies on the fortuitous interplay of ink and ink on rice paper. His art practice was increasingly focused on non-brush techniques, including inkrubbing and marbling, and eventually, in his later years, when he retired from the art world and worked mainly in solitude, he abandoned the brush entirely and worked only with his hands, fingers, and nails. His diagnosis of schizophrenia, along with his fervent commitment to the spiritual principles of Zen, shaped his bold artistic vision and his life.