Although composed primarily of acrylic paint on a two-dimensional surface, Ju Ting’s works consistently challenge the conventions of painting through their physicality and sculptural presence. By exploiting the malleability of paint itself, the artist stretches, cuts, tears, and folds the picture plane, eradicating the boundary between mediums.
In Deep Waters Run Quiet 010526, the painted surface becomes increasingly tactile and corporeal. Vein-like ridges and protrusions engage in chaotic dances, while hand-cut furrows slice through the composition like submerged currents. Such gestures evoke the shifting movement and depth of water: at times calm and restrained, at others restless and unstable.
The title – a variation on the proverb “still waters run deep” – points the tension at the heart of the work: beneath a seemingly quiet exterior lies an interior of intensity and emotion. Alive, vulnerable, and transformative, Ju Ting’s work invites viewers to experience paint not simply as image or material, but as a living, breathing entity in constant flux.