I am Lantian, formerly known as Lantian D, a Chinese-born artist based in London.
My evolving painting series, anchored in its dual titles—the Latin Hortus Conclusus (“enclosed garden”) and the Taoist 寓形於兩間 (“taking shape between the two”)—encapsulates my personal and artistic journey. Here, introspection becomes the gateway to a deeper understanding of the world. Conceived over nine years of solitude and reflection, this body of work now comprises 51 pieces. It traces the journey of a modern individual in search of a soul—seeking meaning, belief, and the ideal amidst the pervasive currents of materialism and nihilism, while navigating through the metaphysical, the psychological, the geopolitical, and the fictional.
On ‘Hortus Conclusus｜寓形於兩間’ : The Longest Way Round is the Shortest Way Home
我是蘭天，藝術創作者， 生於中國，現居倫敦。
我的繪畫系列，以其雙重題名為锚——拉丁語“Hortus Conclusus”（「封閉的花園」）和道家「寓形於兩間」——主題穿行於形而上、心理、時政和文學的领域之間，透過內觀來理解世界。歷經九年的孤獨沉澱，這一系列現已包含51件作品，描繪了一個現代人尋找靈魂的旅程——在物質主義和虛無主義的洶湧浪潮中，尋求意義、信仰與理想。
談《寓形於兩間｜Hortus Conclusus》: 最迂迴的路是最直接的歸途
Life often feels like a show in which I play a passive role; only in my work do I pursue the real and the ideal. Hortus Conclusus is my ongoing quest for Art—to paint in order to know, and to know in order to paint. Art is a passion towards the whole. My odyssey, in search of a spiritual home, has only just begun. These are the shores I’ve touched and the chapters I’ve written:
生活裡，我總感覺自己在被動地表演；唯有在作品中，才能尋獲真實與理想。《寓形於兩間》彷彿奥德赛漂流記，記錄著我在藝術中的探險——以畫求知，以知作畫——藝術是對完整的嚮往。我的歸途才剛開始，這些是我曾停泊的港灣，寫成的章節：
Current Affairs as Subject Matter
時事作為繪畫對象
Some works draw inspiration from contemporary issues, events, and figures:
部分作品從當代議題、事件和人物中汲取靈感。
Creative Diary
The text on these pages largely comes from my creative diaries, capturing my scattered thoughts on art and my evolving understanding of it. Rather than directly explaining my works, I prefer to use metaphors and analogies.
The Flies: In Pursuit of Liberty
Rothko’s Suicide: The Danger of Too Much Abstraction
Not through Abstraction, But by Analogy
創作日記
作品頁面的文字多摘自創作期間的日記，主要記錄了我的創作隨想和對藝術的逐步認識。與其直接解說作品，我更傾向於隱喻和類比。