Chrysanthemum and loquat 1948

Qi Baishi made this striking ink painting of chrysanthemums and loquat sometime in the mid-20th century. Look at how Baishi lays down marks – it's all about gesture, spontaneity, and this playful negotiation between control and accident, which is what painting is all about, isn’t it? The physicality of the ink is really important here. It's not just about depicting a chrysanthemum, it’s about the ink itself, how it pools, bleeds, and dries on the paper. See that one dark, bold stroke defining the edge of a leaf? That's not just a leaf; it's a record of a movement, a moment in time. Baishi reminds me a bit of Joan Miró, especially in the way he simplifies forms and lets the ink do its thing. And like Miró, he invites us to see the world with fresh eyes, to find beauty in the everyday. It’s this constant conversation across time, artists borrowing, stealing, and transforming each other's ideas. Art isn't about definitive answers, but about keeping the questions alive.