Liang Shuo Explores Zha Aesthetics and Northern Landscape Painting in Mountain Studio

Artist Liang Shuo, based in a village north of Beijing, discusses his artistic philosophy centered on 'zha'—a term he created to describe the aesthetic of scraps, residue, and overlooked materials. In an interview conducted at his studio and during a hike through nearby landscapes, Shuo explains how his practice involves collecting discarded objects like old furniture and wood boards for his ongoing 'Trashury' project. He describes zha as the opposite of perfection and mainstream aesthetics, viewing it as a mechanism for artistic renewal. Shuo also discusses his focus on creating 'northern shanshui' (landscape painting), arguing that Chinese landscape art has been dominated by southern imagery for centuries. He references his 2019 solo exhibition at Beijing Commune and his residency in Wangchuan, which helped him reconsider historical figures like Wang Wei. The artist, who teaches at the Central Academy of Fine Arts and was previously an artist-in-residence at the Rijksakademie in Amsterdam, emphasizes his connection to folk practices, including creating mud statues for village temples. The interview reveals how Shuo's work bridges traditional Chinese landscape concepts with contemporary concerns about materiality and cultural authority.