2024年迎來60年一遇的甲辰龍年。「玉辰大象」此展名，除了呼應甲辰年，也是期許大家能每時每刻精進學習，克服困難挫折，才能成大器，如龍在天，如象勇猛、智慧。
塵三 / 溫荷Lotus, 水墨、複合媒材Mixed media on paper, 76x100 cm, 2022
塵三鍾情於山水，古人以山水喻情、喻志。如宋代寇準在《詠華山》中說：「只有天在上，更無與山齊。舉頭紅日近，回首白雲低。」站在華山峰頂，群山環繞，太陽與我那麼近，白雲從底下飄過。此情此景，從中體會出一種精神空間的向上和不斷精進的生命意志。 再例如 : 唐代香嚴閑禪師與唐宣宗李忱在《瀑布聯句》中說：「千巖萬壑不辭勞，遠看方知出處高。溪澗豈能留得住，終歸大海作波濤。」描繪瀑布的形成是匯聚遠近深山無數的細流。近觀巨瀑，往往只能見其一落千丈之勢，只有拉開距離遠望，才能得知其來處。是以，借”瀑布”比喻偉大人格必須歷經千錘百鍊，抱著堅定的信念一往無前，方能不畏艱難，沖決一切阻礙，才能有大成就。
塵三 / 驪山Lishan, 水墨、複合媒材 Mixed media on paper, 102x78 cm, 2020
在塵三的作品中瀑布、崇山峻嶺、孤舟、水岸、鏡湖一直是他鍾愛的題材，後期的作品不再僅止於描寫恬靜的風光，有更多對於人與大環境的省思，表現的風格也更趨於抽象與時代的脈動結合，並結合西方哲學與東方畫論深厚的涵養，其筆觸大膽奔放之餘，也使人對眼前景物多了更多與世界的想像空間。
塵三 / 天清水遠 Clear Sky and the Long Water, 水墨、複合媒材Mixed media on paper, 75x71 cm, 2021
塵三透過心靈的觀照開啟生存世界的探索，而畫中之景並不一定真實存於實際某一處，但從其大筆揮灑的線條軌跡中，我們彷彿也從中跟著尋覓到新世界，抑或是過去的某種場景被喚醒。有時若試圖去理解為何這筆在此，為何這裡這樣畫反而失去直觀畫面當下的感受與正視內心蟄伏的情感。人本「處於世界中」( In-der-Welt-Sein)，而藝術並不是讓我們去認識及理解對象物，以一種形上學或認識論的角度去無限擴張，而是透過藝術讓我們體會並實行人生的過程並進化，進而建立自身的世界觀。
塵三 / 雲柏Cloud-Like Cypress Tree, 水墨、複合媒材Mixed media on paper, 80x62 cm, 2018
近二年塵三將生活移居到常州尋求更多創作的靈感，並於創作之餘走訪各地名勝。可以說山水不再是其心中所念的故鄉，更是其心中所思與精神的化現。也期望觀者透過觀賞其作品，進而開闢自身對世界與人生新的認識與體會。
Welcoming 2024 as the year of the Wood Dragon, an event that occurs once every sixty years. This exhibition, titled Excelsior, not only echoes the significance of the Wood Dragon year but also expresses a continued aspiration for self-improvement. It encourages perseverance in overcoming hardships and setbacks to eventually achieve greatness, similar to a dragon soaring in the sky, or an elephant symbolising strength and wisdom.
Chen San has a deep attachment to landscape painting. Since ancient times, landscapes have been used as metaphors for emotion and aspiration. In the Song Dynasty, Kou Zhun wrote in Ode to Mountain Hua: “Only Heaven is above it; no other mountain can match its height. Lifting my head, the red sun seems near; looking back, low-hanging white clouds appear distant.” Standing at the top of Mountain Hua, surrounded by peaks, in proximity with the sun and the clouds floating beneath, one experiences a spiritual elevation and a life force that strives higher.
From the Tang Dynasty, when Chan Master Xiangyan Xian and Emperor Xuanzong (Li Chen) composed a couplet on the Waterfall: “Across a thousand crags and valleys, it spares no effort; from afar one knows its lofty source. How could streams and brooks detain it? In the end, it flows to the sea and becomes great waves.” This couplet describes how the birth of the waterfall originated from countless streams gathered from distant mountains. With close observation, one sees only its plunging force; only from afar can one understand its origin. Therefore, the waterfall becomes a metaphor for a great character that has been tempered through countless trials, advancing with great conviction, overcoming obstacles to achieve greatness.
In Chen San’s art, waterfalls, grandiose mountains, solitary boats, riverbanks, and reflective lakes have been his chosen subjects for a long time. In his later works, however, he moved beyond merely depicting tranquil scenery; Chen San incorporated deeper reflections on society and the broader environment. His style has become increasingly abstract and attuned to the pulse of the times by integrating Western Philosophy with a deep understanding of Eastern painting theory. His brushwork is bold and expressive, opening up imaginative spaces that invite viewers to connect the depicted scenery with the vast world. Through deep reflection, Chen San explores the world of existence. The landscapes in his painting are not necessarily related to the existing locations, yet through the splatter technique of his brush, we can seem to embark on a journey to new worlds, or perhaps rediscover fragments of the past. Sometimes, attempting to rationalise why a stroke appears in a certain place may cause us to lose the spontaneity of the visual experience and the emotional resonance within the art. Human beings exist “being in the world” (In-der-Welt-Sein), and art is not meant to make up for understanding objects from a metaphysical or epistemological perspective. Instead, through art, we experience and enact the process of living, evolving in the process, and eventually constructing our own perspective.
In the past two years, Chen San has relocated to Changzhou in search of new creative inspiration, while also travelling to various renowned scenic locations. Landscape, therefore, is no longer simply a nostalgic homeland in his mind, but a manifestation of his thoughts and spirit. It is hoped that visitors, through active engagement, may open up new ways of understanding and experiencing the world and life itself.