2026《上善若水 · 厚德載物》

作品以砂粒為底，在畫布深層塑造「上善若水、厚德載物」八字，形成若隱若現的凹凸肌理；表層則以遠山、瀑布與溪流層層疊加，使文字與山水彼此交融，形成一種既可見、又不可盡見的視覺狀態。

「上善若水」出自《道德經》。水滋養萬物而不爭，總是往低處流，卻能穿石、成川、匯聚江海。它看似柔弱，實則蘊藏最持久的力量。「厚德載物」則源自《易經》坤卦：「地勢坤，君子以厚德載物。」大地沉默而寬厚，承載萬物，不分彼此。

畫面中的高山如「德」，沉穩厚實；瀑布與溪水如「善」，順勢而行。水從高處落下，穿越山石，最終匯聚於低處，正如人生——真正的力量不一定來自爭勝，而可能來自謙卑、包容與持續前行。

砂粒象徵大地，也如宇宙中的微塵；文字藏於砂粒之中，山水又覆於文字之上。經典、自然與繪畫彼此疊加，讓「上善若水」與「厚德載物」不只是文字，而成為可以觀看、感受與體悟的生命風景。

水因不爭而無所不至，地因厚德而無所不載。

願人在山水之間，也能找到一份柔軟而堅定、謙遜而寬廣的生命力量。

With sand as its foundational substrate, the artwork molds eight Chinese characters—*“Shang Shan Ruo Shui, Hou De Zai Wu”* (Highest Virtue is Like Water; Great Virtue Carries All Things)—into the deep layers of the canvas, creating a subtle, low-relief texture that hovers between visibility and illusion. The surface layers are built through shifting gradations of distant mountains, cascading waterfalls, and flowing streams, allowing text and landscape to intertwine into a visual state that is simultaneously present yet never fully revealed.

“Highest virtue is like water” originates from the *Daodejing*. Water nourishes all things without striving; it constantly flows toward the lowest places, yet possesses the power to carve through stone, forge rivers, and gather into boundless seas. Seemingly soft and fragile, it holds the most enduring strength. “Great virtue carries all things” stems from the *Kun* (Earth) hexagram of the *I Ching*: “The earth's capacity is vast and receptive; thus the noble person, through ample virtue, sustains all existence.” The earth remains silent and broad-minded, bearing all things without distinction.

In this composition, the lofty mountains embody “Virtue”—steadfast and profound—while the waterfalls and streams represent “Goodness”—moving in harmony with natural momentum. As water descends from the heights, navigating through mountain rocks to gather in the valleys below, it mirrors the human journey: true strength does not necessarily arise from contention, but from humility, tolerance, and quiet perseverance.

Grains of sand symbolize the earth as well as the microscopic dust of the universe. Ancient text is embedded within the sand, while natural scenery is layered above the text. Classics, nature, and the painterly medium stack upon one another, transforming these timeless concepts from mere words into a living landscape to be observed, felt, and pondered.

*Water reaches everywhere because it does not compete; the Earth sustains everything through its infinite breadth of virtue.*

May we, standing amidst these mountains and waters, discover our own sense of resilient grace, humble wisdom, and expansive inner peace.