SpringtimeAbout this Piece From the collection Springtime by Chi Ying In a gentle wash of aquamarine and pastel gold, two plump fish with tender, humanlike faces float toward each other in the still waters of an imagined spring. Their fins extend like petals, and beneath them, leafy green fronds cradle their encounter like blooming water plants. Snow like bubbles drift upwardnot cold, but playfuladding to the sense of lightness. This is not just a meeting of

invitation and solitude

” are elevated through their meticulous brushwork and serene asymmetry

From the collection Fish – Starlit Encounter by Chi Ying

Their red fins and gradient hues evoke motion

with no need for clouds or moonlight to enchant

This painting reinterprets the classical tradition of depicting scholar’s objects and domestic still life

The backdrop shifts from deep olive to vibrant green

" a sliced apple with a green stem opens like a book

the other exalting—spiral around a luminous chrysanthemum bloom that blossoms from their wings like an explosion of life

" The whimsical absurdity and vibrant hues capture Choi's playful

its surface reveals tiny grottos

coral-toned fish with soft human faces drift gently toward each other in a celestial sea