Still Life No. 2 (Quadriptych) 1980

Walasse Ting made this quadriptych, Still Life No. 2, with acrylics, inks, and watercolors, and you can tell he wasn’t shy with color! Look at that juicy blue ground and the dabs of pinks, reds, and greens. The way Ting uses paint feels spontaneous, like he's chasing after the image rather than trying to control it. There's a looseness in the brushwork that invites you in. Take the top right panel, where a parrot perches among dark purple chrysanthemum-like flowers. The background is a flat blue, with very little detail. And yet, somehow, it all comes together. Ting reminds me of artists like Joan Miró, in the way he embraces playfulness and humor. But he also has a distinctly personal touch, using vibrant colors and a bold, graphic style. Art's not about fixed meanings, it's an ongoing conversation across time.