Oil, Acrylic, and Egg Tempera Through the Works of Cao Jigang
Oil, acrylic, and egg tempera – each type of paint carries its own emotional temperature, its own vocabulary of mark-making and light. This was highlighted for me while working on the exhibition Skypath by acclaimed Chinese artist Cao Jigang. Skypath was Cao’s debut solo exhibition in the United Kingdom. His career progression through oil, pencil, acrylic, and egg tempera reads like a comparative study in how different mediums can fundamentally alter our perception of the same natural world.
Oil paint possesses an almost magical ability to mimic the way light actually behaves in nature. Its slow-drying properties allow colours to remain workable for days or even weeks, enabling artists to achieve those characteristic soft transitions between tones that make landscapes seem to breathe. When Cao rendered the ruins of the Great Wall in oil, the medium's inherent luminosity created light that appeared to emanate from within the painting rather than merely falling upon its surface. Oil paint's forgiveness allows for endless subtle adjustments, making it perfect for capturing those atmospheric effects where morning mist meets ancient stone, where the weight of history seems to hang in the air.
Acrylic paint operates in an entirely different emotional register. Where oil whispers, acrylic shouts. Its rapid drying time and plastic polymer base demand decisive mark-making. There's no going back, no gentle blending, no second chances. When Cao shifted to acrylic for his mountainous landscapes, the medium's characteristics became inseparable from the dramatic impact of the work. Those jet blacks that seem to absorb light entirely, contrasted against whites so bright they practically vibrate; these effects are uniquely acrylic.
Egg tempera, on the other hand, possesses a delicacy that modern mediums can barely approximate. The way tempera sits on the surface (never quite sinking in like oil, never forming the plastic barrier of acrylic) creates a unique visual texture that seems to hold light differently than any other painterly medium.
In Cao's minimalist tempera landscapes, the medium's characteristics become the subject of contemplation. Tempera's tendency to develop hairline cracks over time isn't a flaw. It's a feature that speaks to the fragility and impermanence that defines our relationship with the natural world. The surface quality resembles nothing so much as jade, that most prized material in Chinese aesthetics, with its subtle variations in tone and its cool, serene presence.
The progression of Cao Jigang’s oeuvre, with his evolving use of mediums, can be understood through the simple fact that certain subjects demand certain mediums for the utmost emotional register. Some scenes seem to call for oil's soft poetry, others for acrylic's dramatic punctuation, and still others for tempera's serene meditation. Cao’s current usage of egg tempera speaks to his Taoist philosophy, and his desire to render a world of vast, open tranquility.
