His rise in the scene has been nothing short of meteoric. To date, Jin has won nearly 100 prizes for his artworks, with the most valuable sold for a whopping 400,000 yuan ($62,880). Many of his works are priced at around 200,000 yuan.
To ensure the authenticity of his artwork, Jin often goes hiking to observe the shapes of rocks and trees.
It usually takes Jin two to three months to create a potted landscape artwork. Most of the time is spent on conception of ideas.
Jin started to showcase his works on social media platforms in 2020. His Kuaishou account has so far amassed 128,000 followers.
Jin has been heartened to learn that more and more young people are becoming interested in potted landscape, which he views as an invaluable national cultural heritage.
"Potted landscape originated in China. The art was recorded as early as the Tang Dynasty (618-907) and matured during the Song Dynasty (960-1279). It has also spread to Japan and become prevalent there as well," Jin said.
Jin prefers Chinese aesthetics in potted landscape to Japanese ones, as the former adopts a more minimalist approach.
Jin said he often draws inspiration from traditional Chinese paintings. He particularly admires the legendary landscape painting Dwelling in Fuchun Mountains.
"The beauty of lines is highly valued in China's ancient paintings. It is pretty easy to pursue fullness in the painting but rather difficult to do the subtraction. Every tiny detail drawn by the painter, such as a point in the trunk and a piece of bark, creates a unique atmosphere," said Jin.
