Mercurial Craters
Ongoing project, various media (paper, wood, bamboo, ink)
Various Artists
Ongoing project, various media (paper, wood, bamboo, ink)
Various Artists
Ma Yuan Crater (馬遠) on Planet Mercury
Huang Rong Hui
About the Artwork:
On Mercury’s surface, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) has officially named 429 craters after renowned Earth-based artists, including painters, sculptors, writers, poets, architects, composers, and choreographers. Of these, 21 craters honor famous Chinese artists and literati. This project invites contemporary Chinese ink artists to create fan paintings depicting these Mercury craters.
Each artist chooses one of the 21 craters named after a Chinese historical figure and creates their interpretation on a traditional Chinese fan of their choice. The project will be complete when all 21 craters have been depicted. The first fan in the series was painted by Huang Ronghui, who chose Ma Zhiyuan, the Yuan Dynasty dramatist, playwright, and poet.
(The IAU naming criteria requires that craters be named only after artists who achieved fame for at least 50 years, and have been deceased for minimum of 3 years prior to naming.)
On Mercury’s surface, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) has officially named 429 craters after renowned Earth-based artists, including painters, sculptors, writers, poets, architects, composers, and choreographers. Of these, 21 craters honor famous Chinese artists and literati. This project invites contemporary Chinese ink artists to create fan paintings depicting these Mercury craters.
Each artist chooses one of the 21 craters named after a Chinese historical figure and creates their interpretation on a traditional Chinese fan of their choice. The project will be complete when all 21 craters have been depicted. The first fan in the series was painted by Huang Ronghui, who chose Ma Zhiyuan, the Yuan Dynasty dramatist, playwright, and poet.
(The IAU naming criteria requires that craters be named only after artists who achieved fame for at least 50 years, and have been deceased for minimum of 3 years prior to naming.)
Michael WHITTLE
Michael Whittle is an artist and researcher specializing in Diagrammatology, the study of diagrams. He previously qualification and training as a Biomedical Scientist, before changing subject to study fine art. His artistic practice incorporates images, ideas, and data from science, as well as dialogues with scientists about their research interests and motivations. Recent projects include ‘Butterfly on the Sun’, a large-scale installation for the 2022 Changwon Sculpture Biennale developed in consultation with astrophysicist David Hathaway of NASA’s Ames Research Center. In 2023, Whittle co-founded ‘Pollen’ with artist-technologist Atticus Sims, an AI-powered creative studio in Kyoto, Japan. He is currently Associate Professor of Contemporary Art in the Department of Art and Design at the University of Macau.
Michael Whittle is an artist and researcher specializing in Diagrammatology, the study of diagrams. He previously qualification and training as a Biomedical Scientist, before changing subject to study fine art. His artistic practice incorporates images, ideas, and data from science, as well as dialogues with scientists about their research interests and motivations. Recent projects include ‘Butterfly on the Sun’, a large-scale installation for the 2022 Changwon Sculpture Biennale developed in consultation with astrophysicist David Hathaway of NASA’s Ames Research Center. In 2023, Whittle co-founded ‘Pollen’ with artist-technologist Atticus Sims, an AI-powered creative studio in Kyoto, Japan. He is currently Associate Professor of Contemporary Art in the Department of Art and Design at the University of Macau.
HUANG Rong Hui:
Born in Nanning, China, Rong Hui Huang integrates traditional Chinese painting techniques with contemporary Western approaches. A graduate of the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts, she studied under the Lingnan School of Painting tradition, which emphasizes the synthesis of Eastern and Western artistic methods. Her creative practice involves extensive on-site sketching and observation of natural landscapes, resulting in works that bridge traditional Chinese landscape painting with modern sensibilities. Her notable works include “Dazu Rock Carvings” and “Fishing Songs at the Night Harbor.” Huang is currently a PhD candidate in Fine Arts at the University of Macau.
Born in Nanning, China, Rong Hui Huang integrates traditional Chinese painting techniques with contemporary Western approaches. A graduate of the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts, she studied under the Lingnan School of Painting tradition, which emphasizes the synthesis of Eastern and Western artistic methods. Her creative practice involves extensive on-site sketching and observation of natural landscapes, resulting in works that bridge traditional Chinese landscape painting with modern sensibilities. Her notable works include “Dazu Rock Carvings” and “Fishing Songs at the Night Harbor.” Huang is currently a PhD candidate in Fine Arts at the University of Macau.
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