The motif shown here goes back to Chi Bao Shi, one of the most famous Chinese artists (1864-1957). The red colour of the cherries stands for happiness and joie de vivre, prosperity, health, and harmony. The bowl whose round shape symbolises a peaceful life holds together the elements of a fulfilled life. The bowl with cherries thus stands for ‘a bowl full of life’.
‘Designing empty spaces’ is an essential part of Chinese visual arts. The empty white space is meant to leave room for the fantasy of the viewer. Thanks to the empty spaces, the pictures of Chinese artists have a poetic connotation. The characters, written right into the painting, are an expression of the feelings the artist experienced when creating the picture. Su Shi – a famous Chinese artist from the 11th century – is said to have requested that ‘poems should be illustrative and pictures should be poetic‘. In their work, the following generations of artists have always tried to meet this requirement.