History Watchers of the Night

Di Long
2022

  • Medium:Water color on paper
  • Year:2022
  • Size:40×50cm

Description

Di Long’s seven watercolors were created specifically for this exhibition. All based on animals, the paintings display relaxed and joyful compositions, complementing the theme and timing of the exhibition.

Animals is one of the themes frequently visited by Di Long. In this group of works, depictions of some animals, such as the owl, a fierce spirit animal in ancient times, were transformed from Han Dynasty artifacts that the artist saw in museums. The artist has turned them into more figurative and realistic models while restoring their colors to their original vibrance. The owl and the cat on the shoulder of the goddess of wisdom express the commonality that exists between the three figures. Moreover, rabbits are also figures that appear repeatedly in this group of paintings: The rabbit from the Chinese zodiac can be found in Transition of Power. A rabbit turns up on a skateboard in Skating into a New World with Everyone, and a fortunetelling rabbit makes an appearance in The Pink Fortune Teller from the Rabbit Hole. These leporine characters present various symbolic meanings attributed to rabbits in different times and cultural contexts, while the bird will always be associated with freedom in Di Long’s heart.

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