What Li Yin created in his works is to all appearances a surreal, imaginary spectacle, in which the constant theme or symbol is peach flowers in full blossom. In the symbolic school of traditional Chinese literature, peach blossom primarily refers to female sex, or, to be more precise, to females in the abnormal sexual fantasies. For instant, we have phrases like “the face as a peach flower”, “peach flower luck (lucky love affairs)”, “although light and thin, peach blossom is gorgeous” etc. There are some descriptions about peach blossoms which serves Li Yin’s painting well: ”In the peach blossoming season, peach flowers shine most enchantingly. In the peach orchards, there is a dark pink color that hovers over the head. Contrasted by the pink color, the sky appears more blue and the cloud more white. One feels like having a dream when he walks amongst the peach blossoms.” In a series of works entitled “Dream in the Wind·The Pink Season” there are composite image complexes which in fact consist of an uncertain agitation of the inner desires. In these works, we only see the emotional catharsis; we only see the environment that gives rise to the catharsis. However, if we associate these with his other two series of works, which are called “Dream in the Wind” and “Fair Landscape”, we can realize more thoroughly the root of these agitating sentiments.  

The reason is that we inhibit an artificial world in which human desires are actualized. When the world becomes increasingly sensualized, uproarious and prosperous, human desires, as a matter of fact, become highly inflated. On the other hand, omnipresently and without cease, reality as it is stimulates and gives a clue to our inner world, where reasoning and outcome are intertwined and substituting one another repeatedly. Thus, into foreordination and the materialistic swirl we fall, in which things are beyond redemption. As a result, we recognize in Li Yin’ work two types of people both at the extreme ends of attitudes towards life, one being “carpe diem” and the other Sisyphus-style anxious contemplation that may never result in any outcomes. 

A Chinese phrase, which says that “where it swells up and turns red, it is as beautiful as peach and plum; when it is decaying, it is as sweet as cream,” actually refers to the perverted taste and appreciation of beauty. Similarly, as we indulge ourselves in all sorts of vulgar, artificial scenes, as we are obsessed with all types of excessive materialistic pleasures, as we are reluctant to lay aside romantic and sexual objects, are we not going through a kind of swelling and decaying? Why can we not recognize the camouflage and deceit within, which in Li Yin’ own words, are the morbid social trends of the current age?   

Wu Hong