Around the 14th century and during the Renaissance, painters began using linen to create oil paintings. Subsequently, canvas became a widely accepted medium among artists, replacing the earlier practice of painting on wood or stone. For centuries, canvas has been stretched over wooden frames and used by artists as a medium for painting. As an artist, Ation seeks new visual directions in the visual arts. To Ation, canvas is not merely a support for painting; it is a material in the creative process, creating Ation’s artistic space.

Many years ago, in one of Ation’s solo exhibitions, he used canvas to create a pillow and a quilt, then applied plaster to set the form of the work. The folds of the canvas formed a mountain peak, and this piece created a striking visual impact. Since then, Ation has continued this unique artistic practice.

​

Ation enjoys mixing different media in his creations. In recent years, he has experimented with incorporating ink wash, acrylics, and other mediums into his work, while also using canvas to fold various objects such as mountain peaks of varying sizes and employing origami techniques to create items like paper boats. Some mountain forms are born from his imagination, while others draw inspiration from “Hong Kong” and “Mainland China.” “Mountains” evoke feelings of “grandness,” “sturdiness,” and “reliability” for me; sometimes they also convey a sense of weight. Using origami techniques to create various objects brings back memories of his youth. He finds the details in traditional landscape paintings fascinating, such as the old man fishing or the drinker under the tree. Thus, viewers discover intriguing elements in Ation’s work for instance, he captures images of the building where he lives and transforms them onto the canvas, alongside symbols like the gourd representing peace, the ingot symbolizing wealth, the small Buddha statue that accompanies him, and the pet fish he keeps at home. He aims to create an enchanting space through his work, yet this kaleidoscopic realm may ultimately be nothing more than a fleeting dream.