Artist：Hu Yong Kai
Medium：Ink and color on paper
Szie：46cm(W) X 70cm(H)
Mother and Son
You can always find a lot of joy from the colors used in Hu's paintings – the mother and the plants at the back form a group; and the infant in her arms form another with the background, the furniture and some of the colors of the vase.
This doesn't only come from a consideration of color arrangement but also carries a layer of meaning. In Yi Jing, or often referred as Book of Changes, females are closely connected to the earth, which you can easily imagine the link between mother nature and the plants in the painting.
What's more interesting is the infant, you can tell it’s a baby boy from his hair style and the title of the painting. Traditionally, the inheritance of a family is dependent on a male, and hence the furniture and everything in this painting belong to him; but at the same time the dotted patterns of his pants shows an inseparable bond with his mother.
The artist expresses such heavier and more traditional side of the Chinese history in a light yet ironical way. Although these elements were from ancient times, they are an undeniable part of history and is destined to post an impact on the present, provoking a lot of thoughts of the audience.
