I am Lantian, formerly known as Lantian D, a Chinese-born artist based in London.
My evolving painting series, anchored in its dual titles—the Latin Hortus Conclusus (“enclosed garden”) and the Taoist 寓形於兩間 (“taking shape between the two”)—encapsulates my personal and artistic journey. Here, introspection becomes the gateway to a deeper understanding of the world. Conceived over eight years of solitude and reflection, this ambitious body of work now comprises 50 pieces. It traces the journey of a modern individual in search of a soul—seeking meaning, belief, and the ideal amidst the pervasive currents of materialism and nihilism, while navigating through the metaphysical, the psychological, the geopolitical, and the fictional.
On Hortus Conclusus 寓形於兩間 : The Longest Way Round is the Shortest Way Home
我是蘭天，藝術創作者， 生於中國，現居倫敦。
我的繪畫系列，以其雙重題名為锚——拉丁語的“Hortus Conclusus”（「封閉的花園」）和道家的「寓形於兩間」——主題穿行於形而上、心理、時政和文學的领域之間，透過內省來理解世界。歷經八年的孤獨與反思，這一系列現已包含50件作品，描繪了一個現代人尋找靈魂的旅程——在物質主義和虛無主義的洶湧浪潮中，尋求意義、信仰與理想。
談《寓形於兩間 Hortus Conclusus》: 最迂迴的路是最直接的歸途
Though my life may seem but a spectacle, my work is deeply autobiographical. I perceive Hortus Conclusus as a lifelong quest for Art—to paint in order to know, and to know in order to paint. My odyssey has just begun; here are the places I’ve travelled and the chapters I’ve written:
我的生活像一場表演，而我的作品卻彷彿一部自傳。我將《寓形於兩間》視為對藝術的畢生追尋——為了認識而繪畫，為了繪畫而認識。我的旅程才剛剛開始；這些是我走過的地方，寫下的篇章：
Current Affairs as Subject Matter
時事作為繪畫對象
Some works draw inspiration from contemporary issues, events, and figures:
部分作品從當代議題、事件和人物中汲取靈感。
**I hesitated at first to categorise my works so pragmatically, but I decided to go ahead. I've come to understand that creating art and exhibiting it are two distinct processes: the first is about artistic expression, the second about sharing that expression effectively.
Until my works are properly exhibited, I have limited interest in selling them. All the works on this site are ready for exhibition.
**起初，我對以如此現實的方式來歸類作品感到猶豫，之所以選擇這樣做是因為意識到藝術作品的創作與展覽之間有區別：前者專注藝術表達，後者側重有效傳播。
在我的作品得到適當的公開展示以前，我對銷售的興趣有限。這個網站上的所有作品都可供展覽。
Creative Diary
The text on these pages largely comes from my creative diaries, capturing my scattered thoughts on making art and my evolving understanding of it. Rather than directly explaining my works, I prefer to use metaphors and analogies.
Rothko’s Suicide: The Danger of Too Much Abstraction
Not through Abstraction, But by Analogy
創作日記
作品頁面的文字多摘自創作期間的日記，主要記錄了我的創作隨想和對藝術的逐步認識。與其直接解說作品，我更傾向於隱喻和類比。