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2025 · Mixed media on canvas
Water of Life Series | 生命之水系列
Water · Desert · Cultural Journey · Visible and Invisible Energy
WHERE WATER AWAKENS THE DESERT
Water of Life II — Westward Journey | 生命之水 II——西行 continues Jingmin Ren’s exploration of water as a source of life, creativity and spiritual energy.
The work developed from an earlier Water of Life artwork presented in Las Vegas. It carries the memory of that international journey into a new imagined landscape, bringing together the illuminated architecture of Las Vegas, an expansive desert and an uninterrupted stream of water.
The city appears between earth and a radiant sky like a mirage. From its centre, water flows into the dry landscape, gradually transforming the surrounding ground. This impossible yet life-giving stream moves beyond geographical reality and becomes a symbol of ideas, inspiration and hope travelling across cultural boundaries.
The work explores both visible and invisible energy. Visible energy appears through flowing water, luminous colour, architectural forms and the changing atmosphere of the sky. Invisible energy is expressed through memory, imagination, creativity and the inner vitality that enables life and culture to continue beyond physical borders.
The title Westward Journey refers not only to the landscape of the American West, but also to the movement of the artwork and the artist’s creative vision across countries and cultures. Las Vegas is therefore not presented simply as a destination; it becomes part of a broader journey connecting lived experience, cultural exchange and artistic transformation.
Within the contrast between the illuminated city and the surrounding desert, water becomes the central life force. It carries the possibility of renewal—turning apparently barren ground into a fertile field waiting to be awakened.
Water of Life II — Westward Journey received the Silver Prize in the Oil and Watercolor Category at the 2025 Exploring America Through Art — Calligraphy, Painting and Photography Exhibition, held at the Beijing American Center.
The exhibition brought together nearly 100 works by more than 50 Chinese artists and was presented by the Public Diplomacy Section of the U.S. Embassy in Beijing and the Beijing Huaxia Sihai International Culture & Art Center. The award-winning work was subsequently featured through U.S. Embassy platforms in China.
2025 · Mixed media on canvas
Water of Life Series | 生命之水系列
Water · Desert · Cultural Journey · Visible and Invisible Energy
WHERE WATER AWAKENS THE DESERT
Water of Life II — Westward Journey | 生命之水 II——西行 continues Jingmin Ren’s exploration of water as a source of life, creativity and spiritual energy.
The work developed from an earlier Water of Life artwork presented in Las Vegas. It carries the memory of that international journey into a new imagined landscape, bringing together the illuminated architecture of Las Vegas, an expansive desert and an uninterrupted stream of water.
The city appears between earth and a radiant sky like a mirage. From its centre, water flows into the dry landscape, gradually transforming the surrounding ground. This impossible yet life-giving stream moves beyond geographical reality and becomes a symbol of ideas, inspiration and hope travelling across cultural boundaries.
The work explores both visible and invisible energy. Visible energy appears through flowing water, luminous colour, architectural forms and the changing atmosphere of the sky. Invisible energy is expressed through memory, imagination, creativity and the inner vitality that enables life and culture to continue beyond physical borders.
The title Westward Journey refers not only to the landscape of the American West, but also to the movement of the artwork and the artist’s creative vision across countries and cultures. Las Vegas is therefore not presented simply as a destination; it becomes part of a broader journey connecting lived experience, cultural exchange and artistic transformation.
Within the contrast between the illuminated city and the surrounding desert, water becomes the central life force. It carries the possibility of renewal—turning apparently barren ground into a fertile field waiting to be awakened.
Water of Life II — Westward Journey received the Silver Prize in the Oil and Watercolor Category at the 2025 Exploring America Through Art — Calligraphy, Painting and Photography Exhibition, held at the Beijing American Center.
The exhibition brought together nearly 100 works by more than 50 Chinese artists and was presented by the Public Diplomacy Section of the U.S. Embassy in Beijing and the Beijing Huaxia Sihai International Culture & Art Center. The award-winning work was subsequently featured through U.S. Embassy platforms in China.
