Dream of South Branch 南柯一梦

Creator(s)

• Yi Bing (Bing-Yi HUANG) 黄冰逸

Preview

Date

2019

Format

Article

Exhibition Event Title

THE EYES OF CHAOS 混沌之眼

Date of Exhibition Event

11.18, 2023 - 2.25, 2024

Location of Exhibition Event

INK Studio, Chaoyang, Beijing, China

Materials

Ink on silk

Dimensions

30.5 x 231 cm, 34.5 x 234.5 cm (with frame)

Description

南柯一梦 Dream of South Branch is a Chinese idiom. Idioms always have a specific literary origin. This idiom comes from “The Legend of the Governor of the Southern Branch.” This painting depicts the moment of the protagonist “dreaming”. But it does not present the dream as a clear narrative scene. Instead, the dream becomes the visual atmosphere. The artist used the visual language of traditional Chinese ink landscape painting, such as dry brushwork, ink washes, blank space, and trees, to construct a landscape painting. But unlike a conventional landscape figure painting, the focus here is not on natural scenery, but on fantasy. All of the imagery seems to blend into one another, with blurred boundaries. The figures appear to grow out of clouds, making reality and illusion hard to separate. Additionally, the work does not use a single fixed perspective. Instead, it creates a wandering, floating space. The viewer's eyes move from the person looking into a mirror, to the small monkey, to the monk sitting on clouds, then to the tree, and finally to the protagonist sleeping under the tree. It's like people move through a dream, constantly wandering and discovering. The brushwork used for the figures is also extremely light and delicate. In contrast to the heavy tone of rock, these figures seem more like spirits. This further emphasizes one of the central ideas of the story: prosperity can vanish like smoke, and wealth and status are only temporary. (Source: INK Studio: https://www.inkstudio.com.cn/zh/exhibitions/49/works/artworks-4536-bingyi-dream-of-south-branch-2019-2023/) (Angela Tan 28’)