Pang Tseng-Ying's journey from China to the United States spanned a distance far greater than any map can show. From the highly disciplined formality of the East to the broadly interpretive self-expression of the West, he crossed an ideological expanse of more than 4,000 years.  Compared to the long tradition of oriental art, the two decades of paintings exhibited in this retrospective are like the swift flourish of an artist's bamboo-handled brush. Yet the marvelous beauty of Pang Tseng Ying's delicate watercolors, painted during the 20 years that he has lived in the United States, bespeaks a transformation of Chinese aesthetics as remarkably subtle as the metamorphosis of a mulberry leaf into silken thread.

Pang has enriched the modern art world of the West, but, even more, he has enlivened the artistic spirit of the East that was hobbled for centuries by the inordinate homage paid to the ancient masters. His works seem to urge 2Oth century Chinese artists to heed the words of Matsuo Basho, the 17th century Japanese poet: "Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the men of old; seek what they sought." The selected paintings in this retrospective eloquently reveal the artistic virtuosity that Pang has developed as a result of embarking upon his own quest for self-knowledge. Speaking in 1987, he said, "I think, maybe now I honestly can call myself an artist."  carmen's is very proud to carry several of Pang's original serigraphs and reproductions.