The artwork below, "Indefatigable Beauty 旑而碐磳" has been recently put into a glass frame to add dimension to the painting (the original painting is now slightly dented in the frame). It is an honor for my artwork to be presented to Dr. Beh Swan Gin, Chairman of Singapore Economic Development Board, who was invited to our school today (August 3, 2022) as our Guest of Honor to give a talk on recent trends in the global economy and the challenges that Singapore faces today.
Here is my artist statement for the painting:
Growing up, I have always been fascinated with lush bamboos that thrived in the community garden around my home in China. To passers-by, bamboos might often pale in comparison to other visually appealing flora in the vicinity, such as peonies, chrysanthemums, Chinese lantern flowers, etc. However, I believe that once others are willing to appreciate bamboo and its rich symbolic meaning in Chinese art, they may become just as enchanted by bamboo as I am. With the intention of rendering a slightly nostalgic scene that expresses the romance that bamboo allowed me to experience in childhood, I painted bamboos that stand upright with elegant, wondrous leaves. While the stately postures of the leaves imply that the wind is coming from all directions (hence, "旑而"), the bamboos are rooted steadfastly in crags and stones (hence, "碐磳"). The spirit-lifting positioning of the leaves symbolizes versatility and resourcefulness when faced with hardships in life, which are symbolized by the intangible yet palpable wind. The rooted, unwavering bamboos symbolize individuals who cherish their identity and uphold integrity while the stones symbolize sources of unrequited love and support that families give us. The painting incorporates bamboo's virtues conventionally extolled in Chinese art, and I hope that we can appreciate bamboo more and try to strive like bamboo in our life.
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