In Lao Jia’s work, we can find both the marks of traditional Chinese painting as well a unique expressivity that combines the East and the West while breaking with tradition. The expressivity of Lao Jia’s work is an imaginative expressivity, or in other words, an Oriental expressivity.

Collingwood once said that “Real art is all expressive art.” Expressive art enables the awakening of the artist’s individual consciousness while making possible explorations of spiritual leaning; the expressivity of art also makes art stronger and closer to reality. Western abstract expressionism can be divided in to “cold” and “hot”: “cold abstraction”  values the rhythm and movement of the image, objectively seeking the natural harmony of form while subjective moods and emotions are consciously minimized; “hot abstraction” however emphasizes the expression of subjective emotion, with the release of unconscious emotion being its main characteristic. Looking at Lao Jia’s work, one find that it neither “hot” or “cold,” and cannot be placed in between “cold abstraction” and “hot abstraction.” Whether judging from expressive content, expressive form or expressive process, Lao Jia’s expressivity is unique.

Lao Jia’s works focus upon the expression of individual experience, seeking to explore the spirituality of art. During his ceaseless reflection and exploration of traditional Chinese painting, Lao Jia gradually discovered a way of thought and a distillation of Oriental imagination that was uniquely his. Concrete forms observed in the world became part of Lao Jia’s subconscious landscape, coalescing into force and stance emitting from Lao Jia’s brush, coming together as a source of vibrant energy in Lao Jia’s heart. Lao Jia’s work attempts to represent a spiritual need that surpasses form; Lao Jia once wrote: “Painting what is in one’s heart is the essence of the Chinese tradition. Such painting is far more profound than painting what is before one’s eyes or simply seeking to represent anatomy accurately and color scientifically. To put it simply, regardless of however the mind might imagine, everything must be ‘reasonable.’ This is because the heart is boundless.” Instead of saying that Lao Jia paints merely what he sees, it would be more accurate to say that Lao Jia paints his boundless heart; this is exactly the essence of imaginative expressivity.

The essence of freehand painting is “less is more.” The central characteristics of expressive painting are the isolation and refinement of the forms of objects. Within Lao Jia’s work, the concrete forms of objets have already been isolated, coalescing into Lao Jia’s vigorous brushstrokes and both simple and powerful blocks of color, abounding in expressivity and visual impact. Compared with the dainty interests of effete painters, Lao Jia leans more to the great and powerful universe of freehand painting and to great, overreaching narratives. Whether depicting galloping groups of horses or bulls, or those expansive mountain ravines and grasslands, Lao Jia can transform the complex into the simple, the banal into the exquisite, rendering all pulsating force onto paper. Clive Bell stated that “beauty is an interesting form, which is to say that if an expressionist work only possesses simple form and does not have any interesting qualities, then it cannot be called a good work.” Judging from this perspective, the forms within Lao Jia’s work possess an original beauty, expressing aesthetic tastes within the Oriental imagination. At the same time, his forms are neither deliberate or isolated; they cannot be separated from Lao Jia’s individual spiritual character and his deep understanding of life.

Everyone who has seen Lao Jia paint knows that Lao Jia is extremely powerful when he paints. He reflects for a long period of time, waiting to release his energy with a few spots of ink, ejecting his thick masculinity and force onto paper. Such energy could move mountains, and its strength and fluidity brings a great visual impact to the viewer. Through such a process, the artist consciously takes his energy from his body and transfers it to the painting, rendering the external image and the internal being of the artist into an advanced whole. Thus the expression of Oriental emotion and feeling is manifested as one—this is a unique characteristic of Lao Jia’s imaginative expressivity.

Since the 20th century, Western culture has greatly influenced China. During this process of Western and Eastern culture colliding and reflecting upon their own essence, the literary concept of “intertextuality” can be used in respect to painting as well. The “intertextuality” of painting allows us the space to discuss the relationships between “freehand,” “abstraction” and “expressionism.” Lao Jia has never denied that he has been influenced by Western expressionist painting, and he has never overemphasized that his work is either freehand or abstract. However, we can be sure that Lao Jia has always been devoted to carrying on the essence of traditional Chinese painting. At the same time, he has also clearly departed from tradition in search for new creation. Early in the 80’s Lao Jia has mentioned that “New things cannot be found along the old paths. The work of an artist is creation; the path for an artist is creation.” Within his exploration, Lao Jia has found a path of imaginative expressivity. This path is not encumbered by the fetters of tradition, and is not superstitious to those who come from outside. By continually responding to the times and pursuing a dialogue with the present, Lao Jia’s work is still able to incite an aesthetic echo with the audience after decades of change.