Plum Blossoms 1922

Kuang Xü made this dynamic painting of plum blossoms, probably with ink on paper, sometime before 1909. What strikes me is how the stark contrast creates such a bold graphic statement. The white branches against that intense red ground are so immediate and raw. It’s like seeing the bones of the tree, the essential structure revealed through this dramatic color choice. Look at how the white is almost scraped onto the paper, creating a rough texture. You can practically feel the artist’s hand moving, deciding where to leave the red exposed, where to carve out the shape of a branch. This approach reminds me of Matisse’s cut-outs, especially the way he used pure color and simplified forms to capture the essence of a subject. But where Matisse is playful, this feels more urgent, more connected to the living world. I love that tension. Ultimately, it's not about perfection, but about feeling the energy of a single moment.