After perfecting his artistic style for the last 30 years Master Simon Wong is now exhibiting and selling his work, an artistic expression with spiritual resolve and self perfection, illustrating a Taoist artistic style which has inspired humanity over the last 1000 years, both culturally and spiritually, from the peak of the Tang Dynasty.

Master Simon Wong expresses the interrelationship between Taoism and Buddhism’s thoughts and ways of seeing reality. Master Simon Wong has intertwined his Yellow Dragon martial art with his creative philosophy. Master Simon Wong aims to combine the best of Eastern and Western philosophy in his artwork.

One main technique, that accentuates his Taoist artistic style is the splash ink method, originated from Wang Qia, the Tang Dynasty. The paint is spontaneously and subtly controlled: understood by the Taoist as a hypnotic state that highlights momentary existence and non existence - expressing the sentiment of the Prajnaparamita Heart Sutra that form is emptiness and emptiness is form, thus, depicting man’s relationship and interconnectedness with the cosmos.

Master Simon Wong developed his talents as an artist, into the spiritual realm by developing as a Taoist Master. When Master Simon Wong was a young artist he did not merely want to be an artist, but rather sought to develop a deeper state of consciousness from his life experiences, and so to create a deeper profundity in his artwork when returning to his practise.

“....spend ten years observing bamboo, become bamboo yourself, then forget everything and paint.” Martial arts, Taoism and Buddhist training for over 30 years has meant that Master Simon Wong has come to the point of self realisation where he is satisfied to express himself as an artist.

Master Simon Wong's Taoist view integrates imagination with actuality through the most intangible forms, such as clouds, trees, mountains, mist, ocean, waves and formless scenes of nature. Through these forms the viewer can be inspired to unlock and open their minds and hearts to an enlightened view of reality.

This contrasts the misinterpretation and misunderstanding by modern abstract artists who lack true spiritual understanding by expressing an outward inner urge that is more metaphysical angst, compared to the floating harmony of Master Simon Wong’s metaphysical certitude and direct existential grasp of reality. The purpose is to inspire and place the viewer in touch with their innate spiritual nature opening up their desire for knowledge and enlightenment.

There is no East and West in Master Simon Wong’s work: everything is part of nature, so, he uses the medium, the more Western tradition of oil and canvas in order to convey the artistic styles more akin to Chinese philosophy. Master Simon Wong’s sentiments of the universal philosophy of human nature should have no limit. It does not therefore matter if it is a Chinese or Western technique, these are merely tools and through the creative spirit this is what should unite not culturally divide people.

When the Master uses the finger to point at the moon the student should not just be looking at the finger. The finger is just a tool pointing to the direction. Painting is the same, the medium that is used is not important, it is the mental expression behind the art work that gives a picture its spirit.

As the Zen expression goes: “Don’t concentrate on the finger or you will miss the heavenly glory of the sky.”

Our website ydgallery.co.uk has been reviewed by a team member for the Art Majeur SILVER AWARD SUBMITION 2008 and their comments were, "Master Simon Wong combines various styles and techniques with a deep philosophy to produce soul touching works of art!"