笔简形具，得之自然
——黄映恺在“曾锦德画展学术研讨会”的发言
时间：2015年3月26日
地点：福建省画院
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关键词：非学院画风，美术史反思，性灵表达，笔简形具，艺术价值重估，理论担当
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我们过去观看许多画展，大多来自严格训练的学院体系。今天看到曾锦德的展览，让人感受到一种非学院画风的直接冲击。尽管他有学院背景作为前提，但作品呈现出的艺术气质和技法系统，已超出了过去我们所认知的学院框架。
另一个深刻的感触是，本次画展旨在还原曾锦德先生的艺术面貌。在当代绘画的史学与理论叙述中，我们往往受到货币资本、文化资本与社会资本的制约，画家的市场价值对评价影响甚大。本次展览让我想起1980年代黄秋园作品展的轰动效应。当时中国画界普遍认为中国画穷途末路，黄秋园的出现引起评论界高度重视。李可染看完展览后曾感叹：“国有颜回而不知”，意指国家拥有如颜回般的圣贤人物，却不为世人所知。
范迪安院长推荐曾锦德，对美术界理论工作者和评论家提出了更高要求：不仅要超越传统美术史叙述模式，更要避免套用学院或流行的历史叙述框架，美术史论者应以自身史观和价值体系来观察、遴选、重构并叙述美术史。这是我观看本展后最深的感受，也是对我们理论工作者责任感与担当的提醒。
关于曾锦德的画风，许多老师已有精彩论述。他确实是一位以性灵和真性情自由表达的艺术家。在观察他的作品时，我也自然关注其书法表现。书画家通常分为两类：以工见长者与以性见长者。理想状态是兼具工与性。
曾锦德虽具学院背景，但作品充满高天赋与灵性，这是许多画家苦苦追求却不可及的。我们古代讲“笔简形具，得之自然”，意指用简约笔墨传达胸中块垒，与自然天地共鸣，把绘画最本质的东西表达出来。曾锦德的画中正显现这种精神，尤为可贵。相比以技术为主的学院画风，他的作品带来清新感受，其绘画成就值得我们理论工作者细致思考、整理与重新发现其价值。
黄映恺（福建师范大学美术学院副教授）
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Economy of Brush, Natural Attainment: Huang Yingkai on Zeng Jinde
In the past, many exhibitions we visited were dominated by artists with rigorous academic training. Viewing Zeng Jinde’s exhibition today, one feels the direct impact of a style outside the academic norm. Although he has an academic background, the artistic temperament and technical system of his works clearly exceed the conventional academic framework.
Another significant impression is that this exhibition faithfully restores the artistic presence of Zeng Jinde. In contemporary art history and theoretical discourse, we are often influenced by monetary, cultural, and social capital; the market value of artists heavily impacts evaluation. This exhibition reminds me of the 1980s exhibition of Huang Qiuyuan’s works, which caused a sensation. At that time, Chinese painting was considered to have reached a dead end, and Huang’s sudden emergence drew great critical attention. Li Keran commented, “The country has a Yan Hui, yet I do not know him,” suggesting that a sage-like talent existed but was unrecognized.
Fan Di’an’s recommendation of Zeng Jinde sets a high standard for art theorists and critics: not only must we transcend conventional methods of art historical narrative, but we must also avoid imposing academic or popular historical frameworks. Art historians should observe, select, reconstruct, and narrate art history based on their own historical perspective and value system. This is the most profound impression I take from this exhibition and a call to responsibility for all theorists.
Regarding Zeng Jinde’s style, many scholars have provided excellent analysis. He is indeed an artist who freely expresses his temperament and true feelings. Observing his work, one naturally notices his calligraphy. Traditionally, artists are classified as excelling in technique or in spirit, with the ideal being mastery of both.
Although Zeng Jinde has an academic background, his works are filled with extraordinary talent and spiritual insight, which many artists strive for but cannot attain. The ancient maxim “Economy of brush, natural attainment” suggests expressing the substance of one’s inner world with simple brushwork, resonating with nature, and conveying the essence of painting. This spirit is evident in Zeng Jinde’s work and is especially precious. Compared to academically oriented styles focused on technique, his paintings offer a fresh sensibility. His artistic achievements deserve careful study, reflection, and reevaluation by art theorists.
Huang Yingkai
March 26, 2015 · Fujian Provincial Art Museum