Luo Fahui is part of the generation of artists who studied fine arts shortly after the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976). His oil paintings, which are characterized by surreal, pearly gray compositions, punctuated by bright splashes of crimson and turquoise, address themes of desire, isolation and violence.

The title of this work refers to ancient poems of mystical excursion, in which a Daoist master is carried off to the realm of the Immortals. These stories were sometimes fantasies of poets who dreamt of escaping conventional society. In Chinese mythology, the Immortals’ preferred mode of transportation was a fantastical red-crowned crane; mortals who achieved immortality were similarly carried off by one of these creatures. The Immortals prized rare magical peaches, which conferred 1000 years of life on those who consumed them.

In Mystical Journey, the artist has added a slew of roses, which in Luo’s work are frequently associated with desire and lust. The Daoist master has been replaced with a large fleshy boy, possibly the artist’s alter-ego. The crane hovers indecisively between an inviting bed of lush blossoms below and the glowing heavens above. The child bears a peach of immortality in one arm and more roses in the other. It appears that some difficult choices will have to be made if the journey to transcendence is to be completed.

A word from The Artist

Painting is the only channel by which I can to express my ideas, spirit, emotions and desires. It is my own space to distill my hopes. It is here that I experience of freedom of thought, life’s perfection, simplicity of language and inner emptiness. Painting helps me to feel the joy and lightness, enabling me to continue living out my existence.

Using images to unearth the feelings that are closest to me is enough. I could spend a lifetime exploring and expanding my deepest self. I am fortunate that this motivation never tires. My main goals are exercising self-control and sharpening my sensitivity, for these can always be drawn upon throughout one’s life. I have experienced life’s strangeness and joy, turned these emotions into images, and used reason to understand the vitality and energy behind human nature.