Girl's Dream 2013

Kexin Di painted "Girl's Dream" on a canvas that measures 150 by 120 cm using oil paints, and it feels like a very thoughtful, layered process. Look at how she's built up the surface, particularly in the folds of the girl's blouse, or in the feathers of the birds. See how the brushstrokes aren't just describing form, but also creating a kind of emotional weather. And that palette, those muted greens and browns against the cool white of the shirt. It’s a masterclass in colour relationships. The way she handled the light, especially on the girl's face, gives the whole scene a soft, dreamlike quality, just like the title says. It's not about photorealism, but about capturing a mood. It reminds me a little bit of Lucian Freud, in the sense that it’s not just a portrait, but an exploration of the subject's inner life through the materiality of paint. It’s this balance between representation and abstraction that makes the piece so compelling. It leaves room for us, as viewers, to bring our own experiences to the table, to fill in the gaps and find our own meanings.