122.

Chen Qi (b. 1963)

Lotus Series No. 6

1994

Woodblock print

74 x 87 cm

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Chen Qi is a master of tonality, using water-soluble black ink in all its shades. He is renowned for his experimental, close-up explorations of single objects (no. 121), sometimes very large, as in the Lotus series. The lotus grows in mud, but emerges pristine, and so symbolizes purity in many traditions. It has also been suggested that the intricate rendering of the seedpod and stamens at the centre is Chen’s way of expressing the lotus as his sexual consciousness.

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Muban Educational Trust registration number cheqv002