悦来枯竹 2019

Wang Xinfu's 'Yuelai withered bamboo' seems to have emerged from a flurry of brushstrokes. It’s a wild composition of earthy yellows, browns, and flecks of blue. Imagine the artist’s hand moving quickly, intuitively across the surface, laying down each stroke with purpose. I think that the artist was likely deeply attuned to the textures and rhythms of the natural world, and I’m struck by the tactile quality of the paint. The brushwork is so vigorous, with each stroke standing out in relief, creating a palpable sense of movement and energy. I’m especially drawn to the way the artist uses color to create depth and atmosphere, the blues suggesting a distant sky, against the warm tones of the bamboo. It makes me think of other painters who embraced the expressive potential of abstraction, like Joan Mitchell, or even Van Gogh. This piece reminds me that art is a conversation between artists across time, each building on the ideas and techniques of those who came before.