Dream 22-3-2004

Chen Haiyan’s artistic practice is grounded in traditional woodcut and printmaking influenced by the German Expressionists and also by the style of Chinese literati landscape painting. Her work focuses on the intriguing, private world of her dreams which she has written in an epic diary over the past 30 years. Applied in strong brushstrokes against contrasting colours, each of her work depicts a unique, fantastical narrative featuring juxtapositions of figures, animals and objects interrupted by engraved marks. A script of the story — almost like a superscription on a Chinese ink and brush scroll – is written on the textured surface revealing a hint of the mysterious. In Dream 22-3-2004, Chen wrote,
‘Dream 22 March 2004
I was walking with my son. He took me to a desolate place.
Once there, he took a red thermos from a wooden bucket.
There was no water there. But to carry it would be too exhausting.
He pulled a large red bird from the bottom of the bucket and said,
'Here there are lots of birds.'
We looked ahead. Sure enough in the bay there were many birds standing in a line.
All I saw was my son running toward the birds. He held one from the group in his arms.
That bird looked very strange. It had a beautiful pattern on its waist.
Beside them many women and men were playing cards. They could see my son holding the bird.
But he was not at all concerned by them. I took hold of my son. I was standing at the water’s edge.
Accidentally, my son and I have fallen into the water.
Be frightened.
In an instant I summoned all my strength to rescue my son from the water.
I floated away with the current. My son stood on the bank and yelled out.
I swam. And made it to the bank not too far away.
There was a man who had rushed there to rescue me. I had made it to the bank by myself.
And went to have a shower.’