Lotus

Inscribed on the right:
I felt depressed and I painted a lotus. The broad strokes slightly alleviated my stored-up feelings of melancholy. Zhaoling at the fresh green lawn, Shunguang residence, New York.
On the left:
1) I had an old work mounted. Zhaoling at Nanshan studio, spring 1995
2) Just now I attended Premier Zhou's memorial service in Chinatown, New York. The people there, no matter whether they were Chinese or Westerners, were all in tears. Premier Zhou was beloved by the people of the world.

Fang Zhaoling's inscriptions often display her refreshing directness concerning her own feelings and her great awareness of a variety of issues affecting the world. The lotus, a sign of purity in traditional Chinese art, was one of Fang's favorite themes for painting. The large leaves and strong upright stems provided her an opportunity to use strong and expressive brushstrokes and wet, splashy ink. As she declared in the inscription written at the time she created this work, she found the action of painting therapeutic during difficult times. She returned to this painting twice to add inscriptions, once when she had it remounted and once after she had attended a memorial for Zhou Enlai.