Aesthetic principles of abstractness in Guohua painting as a basis for integrating abstractionism into Chinese culture

Archive of Scientific Articles

ISSUE:

Pan-Art. 2026. Volume 6. Issue 3

COLLECTION:

Theory and History of Art

All issues

Abstract. The purpose of the study is to identify and compare the aesthetic and philosophical attitudes of traditional Chinese Guohua painting and V. V. Kandinsky’s theory of abstract painting in order to determine a possible basis in Chinese culture that contributes to the incorporation of abstractionism into Chinese painting. The article analyzes the philosophical concepts of ancient China that influenced the aesthetic system of Chinese Guohua painting. The authors see the development of abstraction as a method of creating an artistic image in the works of Chinese artists who had a significant influence on the formation of the seyi style in Chinese painting. Turning to the aesthetic system of Guohua painting from the point of view of the realization of an artistic image (composition, color solutions, painting elements, symbolism), the authors compare it with the theoretical justification of the language of abstractionism by V. V. Kandinsky and his artistic realization. The authors emphasize that Chinese culture initially possessed elements of abstraction based on the philosophical teachings of Confucianism and Taoism, where special attention is paid to the intuitive perception of reality and the inner experience of the artist. It is argued that the practice of Chinese painting is based on the transmission of essential meanings, rather than on the exact copying of external forms, which brings traditional Chinese techniques closer to the idea of abstractionism proposed by V. V. Kandinsky, aimed at expressing inner states and spiritual values. The scientific novelty of the study lies in identifying the aesthetic foundations of abstractness that developed in ancient Chinese painting, which in the 20th century became the basis for the development and rethinking of the creative method of V. V. Kandinsky by representatives of Chinese artistic abstractionism. As a result of the research, the identity of the approaches of the Gohua painting system and V. V. Kandinsky’s abstractionism to the artist’s work and the aesthetics of the artistic image was established, which was the basis for the successful development of V. V. Kandinsky’s theory by Chinese culture in the 20th century. Thus, this study sheds light on the mechanisms of cultural diffusion, considering the identity of the foundations as the foundation for the incorporation of new directions that offer a creative vision of aesthetic categories and ways of their practical implementation in art.