蔣勳《東部大山長雲》

CHIANG Hsun
Tall Mountains, Long Clouds in the East

For the past several years, I have often waded in an Tall Mountains, Long Clouds in the East. Massive sheets in the Coastal Range of Taiwan bring along heavy enshrouding mist as they glide over the Pacific Ocean, cascading down into the ravines from the summit as they encounter the mountains, and raging down in all directions like mountain springs and waterfalls. 

I can also see the first glimpse of sunshine after several days of continuous downpour. Threads of cloud floating over the Central Mountain Range in the early morning bloom like blossoming flowers. 

Even more commonly observed are the clouds meandering along the rift valley of eastern Taiwan, constantly rolling up and rolling out. The mountains remain steadfast and strong, while the clouds flow freely in and out. It is as if the pair could live on like this forever, never tired of each other, never holding on too tight. 

On a summer day in 2019, I was traveling to Taitung by plane. The sky was crystal clear, having just been washed by a rainstorm, and ribbons after ribbons of cloud rose towards the sky from the mountain peaks. Awed by the vastness of the creation, and urged by the splendor of the ocean and the grandeur of the mountains, I decided to create this work on the cotton paper I brought back from Paris to pray for blessings for the mountains and the sea of the east coast of Taiwan. 

—— CHIANG Hsun