Green tea originated in China. Over thousands of years, tea has come to be one of the essential elements of daily life in Asia and throughout the world. It nourished the development of China’s great civilization and is now ingrained in the basic nature of various other Asian cultures. Tea is their way of life and a symbol of their cultures. Drinking tea creates a unique atmosphere conducive to leisurely chatting, friendship, relaxation, and even business. Tea enriches the spirit and enhances the appreciation of quietness, humbleness, and transcendence. In modern times, drinking tea is considered to improve the health of our body and soul. Rice paper is an essential material for Chinese, Japanese, and Korean painting. After the Yuan dynasty, rice paper revolutionized Chinese painting by replacing silk as a foundation material. Recently, in Jing County in Anhui province, China, I saw the original process of making rice paper by hand--a process that has been used in this factory for more than a thousand years. It was a fascinating experience for me to see, for the first time, how rice paper is made. It was quite inspirational. The nature of rice paper allows a painter to create effects of subtlety, transparency, and softness.
This project “Tea Alchemy” combines authentic green tea leaves with the historical method of making rice paper. The painting and writing on rice paper creates “the new way of tea culture” or “culture of tea” that alters our experience from the enjoyment of drinking to the enjoyment of art.
- Wenda Gu
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