Discrete Islands 孤山水系列
The 'Block Structure Project' (1992–Present) is an ongoing inquiry into the modernity of ink and brush, explored through the lenses of diverse materials and structural compositions. The Modern Ink Painting movement of the mid-20th century emphasized the 'revolution of the brush, The Modern Ink Painting movement of the mid-20th century emphasized a 'revolution of the brush.' It called for the 'overthrow of the center-tip (zhongfeng) technique' and advocated for the abandonment of traditional brush-handling skills, prioritizing innovation in materials and techniques. In the 1990s, I contemplated whether the modernization of ink painting could be achieved without abandoning the center-tip technique. I deliberately employed the center-tip brush to create intricate textures, using diverse textures to define mountain and rock masses. However, in terms of structure, I consciously departed from the continuous, flowing layouts of traditional landscapes. Instead, I implemented a disjunctive spatial arrangement using block-like compositions—a concept I term "Psychological Structure." Starting in the 1990s, the 'Block Structure Project' has been my vehicle for exploring form and materiality. Whether through the fragmentation of collage or the direct rendering of mass structures, I have experimented with a wide array of surfaces—from traditional raw and sized Xuan paper and silk to linen and contemporary canvas. These works have evolved into my signature series: 'Discrete Islands,' Potential of discrete islands,' and 'Intrinsic Potential Landscape.'
In the "Discrete Islands" series, I explore the material relationships between brush-ink and diverse media to capture the vast, misty atmosphere of Jinshan in Northern Taiwan—a place where mountains meet the sea. This series established my distinctive "Block-style Landscape" composition. Moving away from the moist, hazy, and tranquil ambiance of "Discrete Islands," the "Intrinsic Potential Landscape" series focuses on the intense contrast of latent potential and the antagonistic balance between chaos and order.
"塊狀結構計畫"從1992年開始至今，試圖從不同材質與結構的面向探討筆墨的現代性可能。20世紀中葉現代水墨畫運動強調去筆留墨、革中鋒的命、以材質技法創新為主，我在90年代思考是否能夠在不捨棄中鋒用筆的情況下實現水墨現代化？所以我刻意使用中鋒來製造肌理，希望能以多樣化的肌理來處理山石圖塊，但是在結構上，我也刻意不遵循傳統山水畫常使用的連續感布局，而是以塊狀的佈局，來執行另一種斷裂感的空間布局，我稱之為"心靈結構"，在1992年開始，無論是撕碎拼貼，或者直接畫塊狀結構的畫面，我從90年代開始的塊狀結構計畫包含拼貼作品、棉麻布、生宣、熟宣、絹以及近期的油畫布等不同材質，後來多以《孤山水》、《孤山水之勢山水》《勢山水》命名。
作品《孤山水》系列，藉由探索筆墨與不同材料間的物性關係，表現北台灣金山那靠山面海的濕氣空濛開闊的環境視覺，並且確立了個人獨特的「塊狀山水」構圖風格。不同於《孤山水》系列追求濕潤朦朧平靜柔和的空氣感氛圍，《勢山水》系列聚焦於混亂與秩序之間的潛勢對比與拮抗平衡關係。
In the "Discrete Islands" series, I explore the material relationships between brush-ink and diverse media to capture the vast, misty atmosphere of Jinshan in Northern Taiwan—a place where mountains meet the sea. This series established my distinctive "Block-style Landscape" composition. Moving away from the moist, hazy, and tranquil ambiance of "Discrete Islands," the "Intrinsic Potential Landscape" series focuses on the intense contrast of latent potential and the antagonistic balance between chaos and order.
"塊狀結構計畫"從1992年開始至今，試圖從不同材質與結構的面向探討筆墨的現代性可能。20世紀中葉現代水墨畫運動強調去筆留墨、革中鋒的命、以材質技法創新為主，我在90年代思考是否能夠在不捨棄中鋒用筆的情況下實現水墨現代化？所以我刻意使用中鋒來製造肌理，希望能以多樣化的肌理來處理山石圖塊，但是在結構上，我也刻意不遵循傳統山水畫常使用的連續感布局，而是以塊狀的佈局，來執行另一種斷裂感的空間布局，我稱之為"心靈結構"，在1992年開始，無論是撕碎拼貼，或者直接畫塊狀結構的畫面，我從90年代開始的塊狀結構計畫包含拼貼作品、棉麻布、生宣、熟宣、絹以及近期的油畫布等不同材質，後來多以《孤山水》、《孤山水之勢山水》《勢山水》命名。
作品《孤山水》系列，藉由探索筆墨與不同材料間的物性關係，表現北台灣金山那靠山面海的濕氣空濛開闊的環境視覺，並且確立了個人獨特的「塊狀山水」構圖風格。不同於《孤山水》系列追求濕潤朦朧平靜柔和的空氣感氛圍，《勢山水》系列聚焦於混亂與秩序之間的潛勢對比與拮抗平衡關係。
2020-
Intrinsic Potential Landscape (canvas collage)
《勢山水》(畫布宣紙拼貼)
2005-2017
Discrete Islands (Xuan paper & silk)
《孤山水》（宣紙與絹本）
2001-2023
Discrete Islands in potential (cotton)
《孤山水之勢山水》(棉麻布)
1999-2001
Dwell amidst the Mountain and Inhale from the Valley (cotton)
《居山飲壑》 (棉麻布)
1992-2017
Discrete Islands (collage and paper)
《孤山水》（拼貼紙本）
1998-1999
Discrete Islands (Xuan paper)
《孤山水之塊狀山水》 (宣紙)
The documentary of Discrete Islands
《孤山水》紀錄片
Critical/ 專家藝評
/Excerpt from Moon Jung-hee, 'From the material properties of boulders to the materialized landscape: the Pluralistic World of Yuan Hui Li', 2014
“…in Yuan Hui-Li’s Discrete Islands series, rocks are an embodiment of illusion, and are a “specific object” (in the words of Donald Judd (1928-1994)). Between itself and the world, there is a natural and unobtrusive reflection herein…. her illusionary rocks move a step further into a liberated object nature, transcending and in mutual exchange with the conscious world of humans…. , but transcends the material representation and illusionary form of the rock, enabling the rock to contain a reading with increased possibilities, and extending the interpretive space for the concept of rocks, elevating and transforming the realm of landscapes to a brand new territory.”
/節錄自文真姬，〈從山石的物性到山水的物化：袁慧莉的複數世界〉， 2014
「袁慧莉的《孤山水》系列作品中，山石是做為幻覺的物性，且為一種「特殊的對象」（specific object, Donald Judd (1928-1994)用語），而在其中，它與世界兩者之間，自然且不唐突地照應之。…她將幻覺的石頭假象，更進一步跨入一個自由的物性本質，超越地和人類的知覺世界互相交流著，…超越了石頭的物質性表象和幻覺假象，使石頭包容了更多可能性的解讀，擴延了石頭概念的詮釋空間，使山水畫境界提升變化到另外一個新的領域。」
/Excerpt from Moon Jung-hee, 'From the material properties of boulders to the materialized landscape: the Pluralistic World of Yuan Hui Li', 2014
“…in Yuan Hui-Li’s Discrete Islands series, rocks are an embodiment of illusion, and are a “specific object” (in the words of Donald Judd (1928-1994)). Between itself and the world, there is a natural and unobtrusive reflection herein…. her illusionary rocks move a step further into a liberated object nature, transcending and in mutual exchange with the conscious world of humans…. , but transcends the material representation and illusionary form of the rock, enabling the rock to contain a reading with increased possibilities, and extending the interpretive space for the concept of rocks, elevating and transforming the realm of landscapes to a brand new territory.”
/節錄自文真姬，〈從山石的物性到山水的物化：袁慧莉的複數世界〉， 2014
「袁慧莉的《孤山水》系列作品中，山石是做為幻覺的物性，且為一種「特殊的對象」（specific object, Donald Judd (1928-1994)用語），而在其中，它與世界兩者之間，自然且不唐突地照應之。…她將幻覺的石頭假象，更進一步跨入一個自由的物性本質，超越地和人類的知覺世界互相交流著，…超越了石頭的物質性表象和幻覺假象，使石頭包容了更多可能性的解讀，擴延了石頭概念的詮釋空間，使山水畫境界提升變化到另外一個新的領域。」