Colors of Emotions: A Study of Figure Painting in Ink is an exploration and an outward extension of the artist’s inner feelings and their various guises. With suppressed emotions laying the background, the study covers the artist’s correspondence with society and family, as well as the relationship between various emotions. Through expressions and conversions within ink figure paintings, the artist looks at her inner self to recapture and face certain emotional states with honesty. This is an exploration of inner feelings and a confession of emotions. From the visual expressions of the artworks, the artist searches for an artistic language that belongs to her own. Through a layered approach that focuses on various issues as well as conducts a creative exploration and self reflection through art, core values are further established. This paper is divided into five discussions.

Chapter One: Introduction

An introduction on the creative motivation, purpose, content, and methods.

Chapter Two: Theoretical Bases

Discussions on form and content. The discussion on form centers on the development and trends of ink figure painting, while the one on content covers topics of psychology, such as elements of emotional suppression and expression.

Chapter Three: Creative Perspective on the Colors of Emotions

This section consists of a discussion on three themes: the suppression of one’s inner self, the self and society, and the self and my family. Examples of both Eastern and Western painters are included for referential and supplemental information. In terms of methods involved, the comparison and recording of the actual process serves as the expressive form. This chapter establishes the core idea behind the notion, “colors of emotions.”

Chapter Four: Artwork Explanation

Categorizing “colors of emotions” into three series of works, this section elaborates on the meanings and creative techniques behind the artworks.

Chapter Five: Conclusion

A vision and reflection of the future, this section identifies the achievements of the artist’s creations and clarifies the ideas behind the artworks.

Keywords: Ink, Suppression, Self, Inner feelings