Lady 

Editor: This is "Lady," a drawing by Sanyu. There isn't a listed date for this piece, but it feels very of its time – very chic, like something you might see in a magazine of the 1920s or 30s. There's an elegant woman seated, captured with quick, flowing lines, and what I find most captivating is how modern this sketchy, seemingly unfinished style feels. What stands out to you when you look at this work? Curator: Oh, Sanyu! What a dream he was… or is? Perhaps timelessness IS his medium, right? For me, it’s how he captured such palpable poise and pensiveness with such confident economy. I find myself wanting to know what she's writing. A love letter perhaps, or maybe a scathing missive to a former beau! And those legs! A celebration of the female form but still manages to be oh-so-demure, don’t you think? Editor: Definitely. It's sensual without being explicit. I'm struck by how much detail there *isn't*— the background is just a blank space and her features are just suggested. It invites you to fill in the blanks, almost like a collaboration with the artist. Curator: Exactly! Like we're invited into Sanyu's sketchbook, a fly on the wall witnessing the birth of an idea, before it congeals into something rigid or complete. Do you think that Sanyu wanted the audience to get this feeling? Editor: That's a great question, one I don't have an answer to... I really enjoy the almost ephemeral feeling this drawing gives, like we've just stumbled upon something private. It makes the artwork seem alive. Curator: Beautifully put! I shall start using that one myself! I'll remember this drawing every time I stumble upon a sketch that reveals as much as this does. It’s an invitation, isn’t it, to look, linger, and participate.