White Mood

Gold Prize-winning print at the Qingdao International Print Biennale, 2000. Paralleling the belief that human beings are a part of nature, CHUNG You-Hui draws inspiration from the organic environment, directly employing plant shapes as representations of nature. These symbols are not only capable of evoking memories or feelings of nostalgia for nature, but can also serve as a metaphor for how humans, despite our minuteness in comparison with the vast universe, continue to fulfill our individual duties—in other words, the idea of “one grass, one world; one leaf, one universe.” It also conjures up connotations of a refusal to give up, where continued self-improvement exists as a projection of the tenacity of life. The use of large areas of white overlaid on the originally bright and richly-colored layers soften their appearance, veiling the grass and foliage in an almost dreamlike haze, revealing an image of beauty observable only from a distance.