Name: Auspicious
Brand: My Store 2
Availability: InStock

A nine-panel painting exploring hope, harmony and renewal through the symbolic language of the tiger, cranes and peonies.

1/3

Created in 2022, as the world began to emerge from the uncertainty of the pandemic,Auspiciousimagines a landscape where harmony has already been restored. A tranquil tiger sits among blooming peonies as cranes move freely across an open sky, bringing together traditional Chinese symbols of courage, prosperity and longevity. Rather than depicting a real place, the painting offers a vision of the world many people longed for: one where strength is tempered by peace, beauty flourishes without fear, and nature exists in quiet balance. Through this imagined landscape, Siyuan Ren reflects on the enduring human desire to hope, rebuild and look towards a more harmonious future.

As the world gradually emerged from the uncertainty of the pandemic, there was a shared sense of looking ahead with cautious optimism. Everyday life was beginning to return, yet the experience had reminded us how fragile health, security and human connection could be. During this time, I created Auspicious, imagining not the world as it was, but the world many of us hoped to step into.

Painted during the Year of the Tiger in 2022, the work draws upon the rich symbolic language of Chinese culture. Rather than focusing on a single emblem, I brought together several traditional motifs, each carrying its own meaning. The tiger represents courage and protection, the cranes symbolise longevity and peace, and the peonies, a recurring subject throughout my practice, represent prosperity, abundance and flourishing life.

Instead of presenting these symbols as decorative elements, I imagined them coexisting within a harmonious landscape. The tiger rests calmly among the flowers, while cranes move freely across the open sky. There is no conflict or tension. Strength exists alongside gentleness, and nature is portrayed as a place of balance rather than survival.

Although inspired by traditional symbolism, Auspicious is ultimately a contemporary reflection on hope. It expresses a quiet wish that, after a period of uncertainty, the future might be defined not by fear, but by harmony, well-being, and renewal. In imagining such a place, the painting became my own expression of optimism for the years ahead.

Auspicious explores how traditional symbols can speak to contemporary hopes. Drawing upon the symbolic language of Chinese culture, the painting considers how nature can embody our aspirations for peace, prosperity and wellbeing, particularly in times of recovery and renewal.

Rather than illustrating a single narrative, the work brings together symbols that have long represented humanity's desire for a flourishing life. It asks whether imagined landscapes can offer more than escapism. They can become places where collective hopes take visual form, reminding us not only of what we have endured, but of the future we continue to hope for.

For centuries, Chinese painting has used the natural world to express ideas that extend beyond the visible. Animals, flowers and landscapes often carry symbolic meanings, allowing artists to communicate wishes for health, happiness and prosperity through images rather than words.

In Auspicious, the tiger, cranes and peonies each contribute to this visual language. The tiger represents courage, strength and protection, qualities traditionally believed to ward off misfortune. The cranes symbolise longevity, wisdom and enduring peace, while the peony has long been associated with prosperity, abundance and honour.

What makes this painting distinctive is that these symbols are not presented individually or as decorative motifs. They inhabit the same imagined landscape, where each exists in harmony with the others. The tiger rests peacefully among the flowers, and the cranes move freely through the open sky. The absence of conflict transforms the painting into more than a collection of auspicious symbols. It becomes a vision of balance, where strength is gentle, prosperity is shared and nature flourishes without fear.

Although rooted in Chinese cultural tradition, the painting speaks to a universal human longing. Across cultures, people have imagined ideal worlds where peace replaces uncertainty and hope overcomes adversity. Auspicious continues that tradition, inviting viewers to reflect on the kind of world we wish to create and inhabit.

Auspicious is a large-scale painting composed of nine plywood panels that together form a square composition measuring 180 × 180 cm. Working across multiple panels allowed the landscape to unfold as a single, immersive image while retaining the rhythm and structure created by the individual sections.

The painting was created using Annie Sloan Chalk PaintⓇ, a material more commonly associated with furniture and decorative finishes than fine art. I was drawn to its rich matte surface, which creates a soft, velvety quality that complements the tranquil atmosphere of the painting. Layering and blending the colours allowed subtle transitions across the sky, landscape and peonies, while preserving the distinctive character of the medium.

Painting across nine panels also required careful planning to ensure that forms, colours and movement aligned seamlessly from one panel to the next. The result is a work that can be experienced both as a unified landscape and through the individual relationships between its separate parts, inviting the viewer to step into an imagined world of harmony and hope.

Artwork Details

Year: 2022

Medium: Chalk PaintⓇ on wood

Dimension: 180 cm (W) x 180 cm (W) x 1 cm (D) (9 panels)

Artwork Status: Available by enquiry

Long before we can build a better world, we must first be able to imagine one.

Auspicious

Artwork Details

You may also like

Stay Connected