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Journeys of Leung Ping Kwan



“Journey is the expansion of space, the extension of time… It’s leisurely observation, patient co-habitation, continuous reflection. Journey is the process of discovery.

Discovery usually comes from wanderings. When we come into contact with a place, what move us most are not landscapes or landmarks, but small lanes we spend a whole evening strolling through, or a vast lake we roam around in the morning. Even if you took pictures for souvenirs, you still couldn’t register what you saw, back and forth, from different angles… Journeys carry the joy of discovery but also the sorrow of exile. When one is situated in a strange culture, he is naturally sensitive to time and space. He reflects on culture and language, comparing similarities and differences. On the one hand he acutely feels the discrepancies, while on the other, he looks for mutual disciplines…

And poetry may also wander into the realm of art. These poetic journeys into art allow us to comprehend different time and space… Most hurdles in the world are precipitated by the separation of time and space. Poetic journeys into art may not help us fully transcend these constraints, but sometimes they give us the consolation of thoughts, and sometimes they open up for us a brand new landscape… Poetry and paintings are parallel to each other. They don’t necessarily portray the same things, but they are answering, complementing each other, exploring each other; they are slowly drifting into each other’s realm. Their collaborations are friendly negotiations and inspiring dialogues, which enrich individual art forms and expand personal styles. It is a form of respect toward different manners of creation and different modes of artistic activity.”

—— Epilogue, Journey, 1985