BEI Jiaxiang’s Chinese Ladies series sails into the confluence of Eastern and Western aesthetics as a boat.

In the work of Flores Aurantii, several sharp and swift brushstrokes cut through the warm ochre and ivory white colour fields, blending into a refined composition with angular edges amid harmony. Yet in Tea Time, a circular fan frame encloses the centre of the picture, guiding the viewer’s gaze along the gradient of cyan-grey and crimson, as if ink wash naturally spreads on xuan paper. These fan shapes are no longer merely structural components; they divide space, guide vision, and become a silent dialogue between the traditional literati’s wisdom of space arrangement and Western abstract composition principles.

Meanwhile, the content of the fan transforms into a spiritual carrier bearing cultural memories. BEI uses oil paint to simulate the breath of ink wash: in Illusion, thin layers of blue and gray-white intertwine into a hazy background, with a woman on the right leaning against a round fan she holds at an angle. The blurred pattern on the fan resembles either a crane, a piece of agalmatolite, or perhaps just a graceful figure. From a distance, it resembles the classic minimalistic figures from the Song Dynasty, while up close, it reveals the flickering light and colour of Impressionism.

What is most moving about this series is the poetic dreamlike quality given to the fans. In Full Moon, a nearly luminous jade-green fan is placed at the centre of the composition, like a splash of coolness falling into a warm orange glow, making viewers feel as if they are awakening from an old, tender dream. In "Time and Tide," the round fan almost merges with the attire of the woman on the left, its faint rose-red glow flickering amidst a cool atmosphere, like a wild tiny flame in a forgotten memory. When the richness of Western oil paint meets Eastern imagery, the cinnabar, cobalt blue, and silver-grey flowing between the fan ribs are no longer just pigments; they are frozen morning dew and evening mists—BEI Jiaxiang’s heartfelt depiction of nostalgic symbols.