Fragrance of Orange Daylily

Chao Shao-an, like his predecessors from the Lingnan school, took particular interest in the poetic symbolism of seasonal flowers and grasses in Chinese literature and art. Here, a bee is attracted to the fragrance of a blossoming orange daylily, which was often viewed as a magical plant that helped ease one’s feeling of sadness and distress. In his inscription, the artist quoted from a famous Tang-dynasty poem that referred to the plant as an elegant gentleman, reminding us of how to appreciate its beauty.

Its elegant grace should be cherished,
Yet it might not reduce one’s unhappiness.
—Xinyou year (1981), early spring.
Shao-an at the Charming Cicada Studio.