Chinese artist Dan Zhu reimagines her observations of day-to-day life into dreamlike and vibrant configurations— from expansive landscapes of the horizon at sunset or an aurora in the night sky, to details on a smaller scale such as a leaf, grains of sand, or the head of a tulip. Looking to the principle of “Spirit Resonance” (qiyun 气韵) in traditional Chinese painting, Zhu is interested in representing the “energy flow” of various quotidian scenes and objects through non-representational form.

In her largest work to date, a 456-cm-wide painting entitled Take Off and Run (2022–23), a fuchsia spiral proliferates from the lower corner, replicating into a series of tumbling reddish-orange swirls. These bold shapes are juxtaposed with more subtle figurative details—delicate lines, dainty human hands, a chiffony lavender silhouette—to form an ethereal and whimsical composition.