He Jun | The New Species Series — Contemporary Chinese Ink Painting

Artist: He Jun

Medium: Tea & Ink on Thick Xuan Paper

Series: The New Species

Canvas Size: 138 × 68 cm (54.3 × 26.8 in)

Framed Size: 140 × 70 cm (55.1 × 27.6 in)

Year: 2024

Frame: Dark Gold Brushed Aluminum Alloy Frame (Slim Edge)

Artwork ID: MBA-2025-052

Authenticity: Original · One of a Kind · Signed Certificate of Authenticity

The “New Species” series is one of He Jun’s most distinctive bodies of work in recent years.
Blending restrained ink techniques with the organic flow of tea washes, He Jun constructs imagined life forms—creatures that feel both familiar and otherworldly.

These figures are not literal fish or animals.
Instead, they are conceptual organisms, rebuilt from the artist’s long-term study of natural structures and re-created through an intuitive inner vision.
Layers of ink accumulate like growing scales or feathers, forming a presence that exists somewhere between the physical and the spiritual.

The soft, tea-stained blooms surrounding the form resemble breath, aura, or pulses of energy—gentle yet carrying a subtle sense of mystery.
Visually, the works embody the philosophy of East Asian negative space; conceptually, they evoke the awakening of an unknown life form taking its first steps into the world.

The “New Species” series reflects He Jun’s ongoing exploration of the essence of life and the possibilities of existence,
making it one of the most imaginative and expansive expressions within his contemporary ink practice.