White Plum Blossoms 1950

Sanyu painted this piece, White Plum Blossoms, with oil on canvas, and you can see how he’s used that oiliness to his advantage. The paint isn't overworked, the black branches confidently layed over a thin olive ground. I just love how you can see the brushstrokes, each one kind of wobbly and alive. It’s like watching someone dance – all energy and improvisation, and this translates into pure visual delight. Look at those tiny, pale plum blossoms scattered across the composition, each one a delicate burst of energy that perfectly counterpoints the strength of the dark branches. It’s a wonderful contrast, a balance between the solid and the ephemeral. It reminds me a bit of Matisse in its simplicity, with the shapes reduced to their essence, but it’s got a real unique flavor. Like a haiku, it says so much with so little. It’s not trying to impress you with fancy brushwork or complicated ideas, but inviting you to just experience the sheer beauty of the natural world through his very particular, playful, lens.