Depiction：
My father's life was deeply intertwined with drama, which greatly influenced my
artistic career. For many years, whenever there was a grand opera in the village,
my father was always busy in working behind the scenes. In my memory, he never
sat down to listen to a play, so I always thought he didn't understand the opera.
One year, I asked my father, "What do you think of the singing of Liu Zhonghe,
the famous star of Henan Opera? He said, "Great singing!" I asked, "What's so
good about it?" He replied, "His singing is very easy." I understood then that
my father knew drama well; “easy” is a slang from our hometown, meaning very
relaxed. Isn't the highest realm of art valued for its ease and naturalness from the
high proficiency? In his later years with a wheelchair, my father could no longer
contribute his modest efforts to the local opera. From then on, I would rush back
to my hometown whenever a local opera performing at the temple fair every year,
to collect materials for my paintings and to take the opportunity to accompany my
father to relive those passionate years once more. The concept of this work focused
on three generations together—my father, myself (standing behind), and my son
(wearing a deep blue and white patterned hat)— symbolizing the family bonding
tied with dramas, and hoping that the flower of drama on that warm soil will
forever thrive and have successors. Therefore, I thought, although I cannot make
my father immortal, I can express my utmost respect and remembrance for him
through a painting.
