DRACONIC HARMONY

 

Draconic Harmony, acrylic on canvas, 2024. 20" X 30"

The artist welcomes the Year of the Dragon with this painting depicting Eastern and Western dragons gathering harmoniously.

Asian mythology portrays Eastern dragons as auspicious, benevolent protectors, while western dragons are usually perceived as negative and destructive (although western dragons have more recently emerged as misunderstood beasts). Dragons inhabit the unconscious realms of both East and West. They had unique origins, diverse features, but much in common: claws and scales, strength of will, as well as a preference for riches and fortune. The inclusion of both dragon types suggest the complementing energies of Yin and Yang, as well as bridging the gap between East and West with harmony.

The bottle gourd (also known as calabash or 葫蘆瓜/Wu Lou Gua) represents good health, prosperity, long life, wealth and abundance in Chinese culture. It is also called the “gourd of longevity" and is believed to remove negative energy that gives birth to illness and bad luck. The bottle gourd is emblazoned with the words "龍年大吉" (long nian da ji), meaning "Lucky Year of the Dragon". The words appeared to be applied via pyrography, which is the ancient art of decorating a bottle gourd by burning a graphic design onto the surface.

The waterfall in the background is inspired by classical Chinese paintings. The fish in the river, which are carps, represent abundance, prosperity, and good health. Eastern legends say that if a carp successfully climbs to the top of a waterfall, it is transformed into a powerful dragon.

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