Harvest in the Autumn 2019

Curator: What strikes me first about Dayou Lu’s "Harvest in the Autumn" is the color – that incredibly vibrant, almost defiant orange. Like a shout against the quieter background. Editor: It’s a contemporary piece, created in 2019 and shown in Shanghai. Ink and watercolor on paper; a striking departure, and yet utterly steeped in tradition. I think the vibrancy speaks more to resilience than defiance. That bold persimmon practically leaps off the paper. Curator: Resilience, I like that! I’d wondered about that splash of orange against the monochrome ink wash…It's like a concentrated burst of energy amidst the turning of the seasons, isn’t it? Reminds me of the small joys you grasp onto as the days grow shorter. Editor: Exactly. The persimmon itself is powerfully symbolic, laden with meanings of prosperity and good fortune across many East Asian cultures. Note how the artist incorporates elements of calligraphy as well; observe the brushstrokes themselves dance across the paper, framing the composition. Curator: Ah, that elegant script snaking around the form; it’s almost another layer of imagery. But I keep circling back to that grasshopper clinging onto the persimmon…what’s he thinking? I wonder what its symbology represents. A good omen? An unwelcome intruder? A harbinger of the short-lived beauty that's coming to an end. Editor: It seems small in relation to that giant fruit. Perhaps it's hinting at the balance of nature. The transient quality of beauty is echoed in the swift strokes, yet preserved on this paper, carrying layers of meaning, almost like an invitation to ponder our own brief time here. Curator: So, from Shanghai with layers of history and symbolic depth…It certainly encourages me to savour the season’s fleeting sweetness! A tiny detail in the large cosmos; like the persimmon to this ink-wash! Editor: Yes, exactly! And maybe to notice the small grasshoppers along the way.