超凡脱俗，独立不羁
文 / 范迪安
当我第一次看到曾锦德的作品时，我感到眼前为之一新，也为之一惊，那些在今天看来尺寸并不阔大而且纸张已经泛出旧色的作品，透溢出来的是一股超凡脱俗的气息，一个精神孤寂的世界，一个独立不羁的灵魂。
曾锦德生活于闽南，在一个有着历史性局限的时代，在艰难的现实生活面前，在缺乏学术交流和慰藉的条件下，他一直坚持水墨作画，坚持以艺术的表达充实自己的生活，可以说，他是以对艺术的挚爱来克服现实的困顿，他的表达是一种心理的倾诉，也是一种精神的希冀，甚至是一种生命的寄托。
简而论之，曾锦德的艺术有三个主要特征：
一、他对传统绘画独有自己的心仪，倾慕文人画的精神意涵，对文人画传统的“逸格”体会尤深，在笔墨上固能出手不凡，愈到老年愈显出老辣与率真相结合的境界。
二、他长期以生活为师，所画所记所写尽是生活所见所感，作品故而富有浓郁的生活意趣，顿出平淡天真，无论人物、山水、花鸟，凡感动之景皆化为笔底意象，成为一位难得的多面手画家，也如禅宗的体格。
三、他所画的既是客观题材，更是心理现实，许多作品是他自己潜意识的流露，也即是真性情的流露。喜怒哀乐都化为笔墨，任其流淌，任其舒展。这种精神的印迹堪为曾锦德艺术最为感人的光采，也最让我们为之感动，为之感叹。
一年多前，北京的画家闫新生对我说在福建看到一位名叫曾锦德的老画家作品，画得极好。此后曾锦德的儿子曾路数度来京，向我展示了丰富的资料和原作。曾路有志，为他父亲的画作和手稿做了大量的整理和编辑工作，也特别希望有机会向公众展示。蒙福建省文联党组书记张作兴同志关心支持，福建省画院、福建省美协给予重视，使曾锦德画展得以在2015年乙未新春举办。相信这是献给曾锦德先生的最好心香，也是深化福建美术研究的重要举措。
祝展览圆满成功！
范迪安（中国美术家协会主席、中央美术学院院长）
2015年2月 · 中国美术馆
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English Translation
The Radiance of Spirit — Fan Di’an on the Art of Zeng Jinde
When I first encountered the works of Zeng Jinde, I was struck by both freshness and awe. Though modest in size and time-worn in paper, his paintings radiate an air of transcendence — revealing a solitary spiritual world and an unrestrained, independent soul.
Living in southern Fujian during an era of historical constraint and under harsh realities, Zeng Jinde persisted in his practice of ink painting. In the absence of academic exchange and comfort, he used artistic creation to enrich his life. It can be said that his deep love for art overcame the hardships of reality; his painting became a confession of the mind, a projection of spiritual hope, and even a vessel for his life.
In brief, Zeng Jinde’s art possesses three major characteristics:
First, he cultivated a deep admiration for the spirit of traditional literati painting. His understanding of the “untrammeled grace” (yige) within that tradition was profound. His brushwork was consistently refined and free from vulgarity, attaining in his later years a state that combined vigor with honesty.
Second, he took life itself as his teacher. Everything he painted, noted, or wrote sprang from his lived experience. Thus, his works exude a rich sense of life and an innocent simplicity. Whether depicting figures, landscapes, or flowers and birds, he transformed scenes that moved him into brush-born imagery. This made him a rare multi-talented painter — one whose art embodies the spirit of Chan (Zen).
Third, his paintings reflect not only objective themes but also psychological realities. Many works express his subconscious — the true revelation of his temperament. Joy, anger, sorrow, and delight all flowed through his ink, unrestrained and sincere. This imprint of the spirit is the most touching radiance of Zeng Jinde’s art, moving us deeply and stirring our admiration.
More than a year ago, the Beijing painter Yan Xinsheng told me he had seen the works of an elderly artist named Zeng Jinde in Fujian and found them extraordinary. Later, Zeng’s son, Zeng Lu, came to Beijing several times, showing me abundant materials and original works. With dedication, Zeng Lu has organized and edited his father’s paintings and manuscripts, hoping to share them with the public. Thanks to the support of Comrade Zhang Zuoxing, Secretary of the Fujian Federation of Literary and Art Circles, and the attention of the Fujian Academy of Painting and Fujian Artists Association, the exhibition of Zeng Jinde’s works is now held in the early spring of 2015. I believe this is the most heartfelt tribute to Mr. Zeng Jinde, and also a significant contribution to the further study of Fujian art.
I sincerely wish the exhibition great success.
Fan Di’an
Beijing, February 2015
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