A piece of work by Yang Erming

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"I tried oils, yes, but acrylic and watercolor just don't achieve the same feeling as ink," Yang says.

According to Marie Laureillard, a professor at the University of Lumiere-Lyon 2 in France, Yang has tried to recast Chinese ink-and-wash painting through the "clear richness of color".

Having moved to Japan about 20 years ago, Yang now also spends much of his time in the United States.

Over the past two decades he has held solo exhibitions in many countries including Japan, the US, Italy, France and the Netherlands.

"Artists overseas tell me they envy me as everything I do is still very closely related to traditional Chinese style, while they themselves feel isolated from their own artistic traditions," says Yang. "I take this as a real compliment."

Some of Yang's critics in China, however, still consider his work to more "Western-style". Yang's allegiance to the traditional aspect of his craft is exhibited through his paintings. He uses colors in a way that makes them look conciliatory and not contradictory.

"That's what ink-and-wash is good at. It is hazy and implicit. We don't want to lose any of our traditional Chinese flavor, like the gentle outlines of oriental faces and figures, or the faint aroma of tea."

The central theme of tranquility runs through all his works, he says.

Or, as Laureillard puts it: "With Yang's delicate brushwork, all these scenes that might seem banal are magnified, creating an explosion of colors, whose poetry and refinement draw us in."

xiaoxiangyi@chinadaily.com.cn