Artist Yang Yan and his wife Neneh Ada Yang (COURTESY OF YANG YAN)

How would you describe splashed-ink painting?

The painting process is like a volcanic eruption. I usually begin by "splashing" ink washes to define mountains, hills and other landscape elements, and then add finer details such as temples, boats, trees and people in darker ink with quick strokes. The wisdom to have an overall grasp of things and the ability to control the ink – its density and flow, its depth and shallowness – is very important. It goes far beyond technique.

Why is traveling important to you as an artist?

So far, I have been to most of China's provinces and over 40 countries. Traveling is a good opportunity to get closer to nature. It's especially important for a landscape painter. It helps me to grasp the macro-topography around the globe. From glaciers to alpine meadows, loess plateaus to deserts, forests to the seaside, landscape is my lover. At the micro level, you can watch how roots and shoots grow, how ants carry food. Everything from the cosmos to living beings, I draw inspiration from.

What kind of impact did your African tour have on you specifically?

My African tour has made me think more about the state of mankind, less developed regions, and how to protect our planet. In Africa, people are much closer to nature than us [the Chinese]. After I saw how they live, I feel I'm not so obsessed with the so-called "city life." It seems that there are many things separating us from nature. To some extent, this is culture's negative impact. [But] if we cannot appreciate the beauty of art and culture in an aesthetic way, we may feel depressed in society.

In your opinion, what informs African art practice? 

To me, Africa is closer to the sun, and everything on the continent is colorful and bright. There is abundant rainfall, lush plants, vitality. I feel Africans don't have so much cultural baggage. They don't overthink what to paint or how to paint. Take my wife as an example: when Ada paints, she pours out all her feelings and emotions on the canvas. A piece of artwork carries two forces, one is the cultural force, and the other is an original life force. If one expresses much life force, his or her works will be powerful.

How did you meet your wife Ada?

This past April, together with my friend Mariatu Karbo – Miss Sierra Leone of 2009 – I went to Sierra Leone to attend celebrations for the country's 50th anniversary of independence. Karbo introduced us. I met Ada and we soon fell in love with each other. There we got married and she came back to China with me.

Would you say Ada is your muse?

She is an artwork created by God and is definitely my muse. I feel the truth, virtue and beauty in her. Her body, her expression and her every movement are aesthetic experiences for me. She gives me the energy and vitality to create. Now in China, she has developed a love for painting. She has even started painting on her own. When I paint, sometimes I dance and sing and she also dances with me. I love painting and she loves dancing, so we find our combination to be very good.