Falling Flowers 

Shen Zhou created “Falling Flowers” with ink and colour on paper, presenting a contemplative landscape that invites serene reflection. Dominating the foreground are clusters of trees rendered with layered ink washes, setting a dynamic contrast against the paler, mist-shrouded mountains in the distance. This contrast is essential to how we experience the painting. The composition employs a deliberate asymmetry, drawing the eye from the figure on the left across the bridge to the depth of the landscape. Zhou uses negative space not as emptiness, but as an active element that balances the composition. The textures, achieved through varied brushstrokes, add depth, distinguishing foliage from rock and water. Zhou’s artistic practice embodies the literati ideal, reflecting a personal response to nature and its inherent philosophical undertones. His focus on individual expression and a dialogue with nature invites us to consider how such art can offer a refuge from the structured confines of social norms. We see nature and our place within it differently.