Peony

Artists: Lily & Honglei (ink painting composed based on Ren Bonian ‘Peony and Chinese Bulbul,’ 1892)
Animation Running Time: 1minute 35seconds, infinite loop.
Medium: Ink painting, digital animation and sound
Completion Year and Location: 2010, New York City

Work Synopsis
As new media artists, we emphasize utilizing digital imaging technologies to reserve and develop eastern aesthetic traditions, to inherit the spirit of humanism.

The tradition of Shuimo, or Chinese ink painting,has been giving essential influences to Chinese artists, even in the 21st century. Its creative process usually leaves impression of ease and freedom, rhythm and conciseness, which profoundly inspires our artistic practice for not only its aesthetic values, but the symbolism, social metaphors and poetic expressions.

Animation Peony combines varied aesthetic elements including traditional Chinese ink painting, ambient sound, 3-D space, time duration, as well as subtle motions referring to the nature. Based on Ren Bonian’s Peony and Chinese Bulbul (1892), we rearrange the composition, adjust the hue to create a new atmosphere, further, add movements to make a static image alive. With the infinite loop of the film running one-minute-forty-seconds, Peony constructs a space for rethinking and appreciating the expressions of Chinese ink painting, which is inspiring our new investigation on culture and humanity.

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