In Wang Rui's Desolated State series, the imagery appears to be ambiguous. The irregular porous structures automatically filter certain experiences and visual memories in the consciousness; it is both still life and landscape, realistic while dreamlike. Desolated State embodies the inherent "liminal state" of things, bridging the figurative and abstract and thus exists as a vessel for consciousness and aesthetics.

Wang Rui's appreciation for bones and their internal structures is the starting point of the series. When bones are sliced open, their undulating and winding lamellar or linear structures present a fascinating blend of visual duality. Wang Rui infuses his emotions and sensations into these structures, oscillating between the extremes of representation and abstraction, allowing these two extremes to converge and blend for a delicate expression.

Drawing inspiration from the traditional visual language of classical literati landscape painting, Wang Rui pays homage to it through deformation and substitution, allowing the artwork to reach a certain level of subconscious experience. Sometimes, he relies solely on intuition and imagination, but reference to objects is needed to establish the composition when it comes to specific details. When the image becomes too figurative, the artist allows the imagination and emotions to take over. Through constant deliberation and iteration, Wang Rui gradually advances the composition until it reaches a state of balance, then meticulously completes the finishing touches with delicate brushwork.

The emotions injected into the artwork are often hidden in detail; the subtle transitions of color by the lines, the brilliance within the recessed areas, and the embellished openings leading to the depths of the composition. As we step into the inner realm of the painting, the irregular lines delineate semi-independent spaces wherein a sense of vitality intertwines and rolls, creating a captivating and dynamic visual experience. Beneath the calm and delicate brushstrokes, the artist's restrained expression still reveals an emotional temperature. Those openings, cracks, folds, protrusions, and recesses are not only a fusion of objects and the charm of landscapes but also the perfect abode for emotions and experiences to hide.

Desolated State captures the essence of "hidden corners of the liminality." The depicted content of the artwork only exists in the imagined space. When observing Wang Rui's paintings, we can surmise that it is not only a landscape of imagination but also the underlying background of his personal experience, just as described in Liu Zongyuan's Dream of the Returning: "I slumber in the desolate wilderness at dusk, my heart was so disturbed and trapped." The feeling of being trapped in the desolate wilderness resonates with the spiritual dilemma experienced by the artist. Thus, the interplay between the artwork and individual life unfolds, mutually interpreting each other.

Therefore, for Wang Rui, the Desolated State series is a creation of a certain period in life and also a record of his existential experience. The transition from Yunnan to Beijing, both geographically and artistically, has shifted the artist's direction and even his entire being. Amidst the changes, the painter needs to explore inward and outward simultaneously. This process involves creating a new visual language that blends the individual's existential experience with painting, expressing his unique subjectivity. On a cold winter night, that piece of bone seems to be intentionally waiting for the painter's discovery, awaiting the artist's departure from the liminal space between self and the world, initiating a new phase of artistic creation with a swaying posture.