Li Jin, Bath in Blessings (Family of Three), c. 2006
Chinese ink wash and colour on Xuan Paper
40.5 x 45 cm (visible), 54 x 58 x 2 cm (framed)
Condition: Very good
Acquired from Asian Art Options.
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The chinese text on the right reads:
润泽清凉，一滴满十方
A drop of coolness and moisture fills the whole world
The bathing scene, a recurring subject within Li Jin’s art, is often associated with his symbolic use of the water element to cleanse away social pressures and self-limiting thoughts.
The work also makes deeper references to Buddhist notions that all one needs is just a pure and singular blessing to fulfill us, allowing us to cleanse away and discard all other superficial notions that don’t serve us.
The use of nudity, bathing scenes, and families bathing together suggests that we should hold onto the innocence and purity of the physical form, and not let conservative societal norms limit us. In the past in China and many other puritanical societies, families do not bathe together, and it is inappropriate to be naked in front of each other. Through these scenes, it is his expression and intention that one should celebrate the naked form without being tainted by immoral thoughts.
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Li Jin 李津 (Chinese, b.1958) is a contemporary ink painter known for his vibrant and often humorous depictions of everyday life and sensory pleasures. Born in Tianjin, he graduated from the Chinese Painting Department of the Tianjin Academy of Fine Arts in 1983, where he later served as an Associate Professor. His colourful works frequently feature food, figures, and scenes of intimacy, drawing from his personal experiences and observations of contemporary Chinese life.
Li’s practice has evolved through distinct phases, including a formative period spent in Tibet, where his encounters with Tibetan culture and Buddhist ideas influenced his reflections on selfhood and corporeal existence. From the 1990s, he developed a distinctive approach often associated with New Literati painting, combining expressive brushwork with candid depictions of daily life. In his later practice, he turned increasingly towards monochrome ink painting, using a freer daxieyi style to explore spontaneity, tonality, and the expressive possibilities of ink. His works are held in major collections including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and Ashmolean Museum.
(Photographed in March 2026)