不确定十字黑灰之五 2001

Xu Hongming's stark work presents us with a square rotated into a diamond, rendered in solemn black against a white background. The diamond motif carries a deep lineage. Consider its echo in the lozenges of ancient art, symbols that span cultures from prehistoric Europe to the decorative arts of China, often embodying notions of the feminine and the generative. The diamond's sharp angles, however, introduce a tension—a sense of the impenetrable. The color black has been used across art to elicit psychological reactions, from mourning and rebellion to power and sophistication. In contrast, the pure white background creates a void, amplifying the weight of the diamond and emphasizing its stark isolation. As we stand before this abstract image, we are reminded that symbols are never fixed. Their meanings shift and evolve. Xu Hongming invites us to face a primal form stripped bare.