The Beauty of Emptiness—The Foundational Root of Chinese Aesthetics

Téa Sernelj

doi:10.4312/as.2025.13.3.71-93

Authors

Téa SERNELJ University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Arts, Slovenia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.4312/as.2025.13.3.71-93

Keywords:

Chinese aesthetics, “literati painting” (wenrenhua 文人畫), “emptiness” (xu 虛), Daoism, Zhuangzi

Abstract

The article explores how the concept of “emptiness” (xu 虛) emerged as the defining aesthetic principle in the tradition of Chinese “literati painting” (wenrenhua 文人畫). Far from denoting absence or nothingness in the strict sense of the word, xu represents a dynamic and generative force—an underlying condition through which artistic form, meaning, and spiritual insight arise. Tracing its development from the Wei-Jin period (220–589 CE) onwards, the article examines how xu evolved at the intersection of Neo-Daoist metaphysics (Xuanxue 玄學) and Chan Buddhist philosophy, transforming from a metaphysical abstraction into a concrete aesthetic language.

Focusing on five key figures—Gu Kaizhi, Zong Bing, Xie He, Jing Hao, and Shitao the study highlights how each articulated core aesthetic principles that grounded painting in the expressive possibilities of emptiness. Concepts such as liubai (留白, unpainted space), qiyun (氣韻, vital resonance of spirit), and yihua (一畫, the holistic or primordial brushstroke) demonstrate how emptiness manifests visually and philosophically. Ultimately, the article argues that xu is not only central to Chinese aesthetic theory, but serves as the silent generative force that animates the entire tradition of literati art.

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