Artist finds a world of inspiration in lakes

His works, on display in Beijing, are a distant mirror of shanshui scrolls that provide an artist vertical space to give shape to landscapes, the ambassador says.

Aeberli's expectations of the Beijing exhibition are modest: "to make new contacts with art lovers in China".

To him, painting is all about suggesting a mood, and the ability to appreciate the exhibition does not depend on where you come from or the color of your passport. "When I create, I do not take into account the tastes of any countries. I continue my own quest for space and light. One should not consider the spectator incompetent and (you) therefore leave room for interpretation."

The choice of venue for the exhibition, Hotel Grace Beijing, is no accident. Located at the 798 Art Zone of the capital, it has its own art display space. Photos of the venue were sent to Aeberli a year before the exhibition, and he worked specifically on large formats appropriate to the space.

Godet predicts that in China Aeberli would discover settings that would abide with him and inspire him, whether by works of great masters or simply by taking in the colors around him.

As if not to disappoint Godet, Aeberli says: "Some views, including one lake at the Summer Palace, which has deeply touched me, will somehow resurface in my next works. Before leaving for Beijing I had read many art books on Chinese painting and I (was) in awe of the works of the 12th and 13th centuries."

For him, landscape painting "creates an atmosphere conducive to meditation".

"I re-create landscapes that could be those before man arrives or the ones after he disappears. In general, my paintings are based on the theme of expectation, a certain mystery and the search for a lost paradise."

Aeberli, 65, says art is central to his life. And central to his art is Lake Neuchatel, a constant companion throughout his career.

Behind his works are years of hard effort and tutelage in painting and sculpture by masters of art, and he sees parallels in China.

"Generally, I do not believe in self-taught artists. As in the Chinese painting tradition or that of the European Renaissance, there are masters and we have to work with them before finding our own ways."

jixiang@chinadaily.com.cn