Tao Te Ching for Artists

Happy Chinese New Year

On the dawn of the Chinese New Year (the year of the Horse), I have decided to take a big challenge. I am going to try to interpret Tao Te Ching (or Dao De Jing), the ancient Chinese text by Lao-tzu. This will also help me to re-visit the texts, ponder and meditate on them. I am sure they will help me with my art as well.

There are hundreds of translations of Tao Te Ching, and even more explanations. All those explanations are mere individual interpretations, perceptions of the writers and considering the limited capacity of the words, they only arrive to show us to their point of view. It is the reader's task (better privilege), to contemplate and to understand it... not mentally, but with the core....with the heart.

Tao Te Ching's 81 verses at the first glance seem to be instructions on how to live life in ancient China, how to run a government, in riddles and strict lessons, but one soon realizes that they are timeless. They go much deeper than words, they help us to see our ourselves, run our own “governments”, that is the relationship with ourselves and others.

In my coming blogs, I will try to use words sparingly, and just the way I paint, try to bring out the essence, not my detailed interpretation, and leave room for the reader's personal insight.

I would love you to share those insights....