Often being described as abstract and bland, the landscapes by Qiu Shihua are in fact closely tied to the aesthetics of the art of the Chinese literati, in which blandness is regarded as an ideal of life, a method of cultivating the self. In describing the essence and the process in the making of his art, Qiu writes, ‘…depiction and landscape are a lot at the beginning (of the painting process) and at the end only a little. The depiction becomes gradually less, and more vague, or, to put it another way, whiter. Inwardly, intention, meaning, and spirit gradually become more peaceful motionless, reserved, or flatter, blander, and lacking in any particularities. Outwardly, the inner vital spirit and a glow become more and more obvious. As if there were some voice…’. The present catalogue of Qiu’s exhibition at the Kunsthalle in Basel provides two perceptive essays on his art and a brief biography of the artist.