Heartstrings 

Here is the story for the audio guide: Kun Wang’s painting presents a modern figure with a traditional sensibility, dominated by the symbolic weight of the seashell. The seashell, a timeless motif, appears here not merely as an object but as a vessel of memory. The spiral form echoes the labyrinthine paths of the mind, evoking the cyclical nature of existence. We find it mirrored in Botticelli’s Venus, emerging from the sea, embodying the birth of beauty and desire. Yet, here, the shell is not the source of creation but a contained space, hinting at introspective reflection. The red robe drapes the figure, reminiscent of classical drapery, symbolizing passion and vitality, yet muted, as if filtered through time. In its folds, we see echoes of ancient sculptures, where fabric cloaks both the body and the soul. It is through such symbolic gestures that Wang bridges the gap between past and present, inviting us to contemplate the enduring power of the psyche. The seashell, then, becomes a potent symbol—an emblem of the subconscious, a carrier of collective memories, and a testament to the cyclical return of archetypal forms.