NARRATOR:

This untitled ink painting by Irene Chou was completed in the 1970s. It is square with a side length of ninety-one centimetres.

Chou uses different brushstroke techniques and concentrations of ink to capture the nuances of gradual change. From a distance, the shades of grey and black evoke layers of rolling hills and waves, creating a dim and mysterious image that seems near yet far away.

In the lower left section of the work, the ink evokes shadows that look like a vast, undulating mountain range or long silky hair that cascades from the centre and flows towards the right. Off-centre to the right, interweaving lines form a web-like pattern that resembles roots, a mesh of blood vessels, or human tissue. Above this web is a wall of fine, dense vertical lines with the appearance of fibrous connective tissue. In the top right section, dense clusters of overlapping folds evoke skin along human joints or rock strata as viewed from above. A bright white oval tip protrudes from behind like a moon reflecting on calm waters, its brightness accentuated by the density of the folds beneath. From a distance, this reflection seems to extend to the left, where it can be glimpsed behind the translucent hills. Above the reflection, in the top left part of the work, interconnected curving lines overlap like a rocky shoreline. The water closest to the shore is streaked with dark grey shading, suggesting the presence of rocks underneath.

The artist’s name and seal are vaguely discernible along the left edge of the canvas.

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Irene Chou No title