Artwork Description

Title: The Taste of Green Lemon
Artist: Zhao Mi
Date: Undated
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 31.5 x 31.5 in. (80 x 80 cm)

1. Artwork Identification
Zhao Mi’s The Taste of Green Lemon is a contemplative oil on canvas featuring a seated woman in a blue dress, surrounded by painterly flourishes of texture and color. The figure appears enveloped in a dreamlike mist, with muted yellows and cloudy whites drifting across her body and the surrounding space. A white vase with blossoming branches in the background introduces a delicate still life element, enhancing the painting’s intimate and introspective quality. The overall composition evokes a quiet reverie, blurring the line between memory and sensation.

2. Artistic Style and Influences
Rendered in a lyrical figurative style, Zhao Mi’s work aligns with the poetic realism found in certain strands of contemporary Chinese painting. The soft, rhythmic brushwork and subdued palette are reminiscent of the work of artists such as Chang Ucchin or Wu Guanzhong, who blend traditional sensibilities with modernist abstraction. Here, Zhao Mi employs a subtly symbolic visual language: the mist-like veils suggest memory or emotion, while the lemon's implied taste in the Title: adds a sensory dimension to the viewing experience.

3. Historical Context
While undated, the work emerges from a broader movement in post-1980s Chinese contemporary art where introspection and the exploration of personal identity took precedence over overt political commentary. This era saw an increased interest in psychological states, domestic environments, and symbolic still lifes. In The Taste of Green Lemon, Zhao Mi distills this moment of inward focus into a gently surreal tableau, reflecting the tension between clarity and ambiguity that defined much of Chinese figuration in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.

4. Provenance
Provenance documentation can be provided upon contact.

5. Condition and Conservation
The painting is in very good condition. The canvas is stable and taut, and the paint surface is intact with no visible losses, abrasions, or discoloration. No conservation treatments have been applied, and none are currently recommended.

6. Artistic Significance
The Taste of Green Lemon is emblematic of Zhao Mi’s subtle yet evocative approach to figurative painting. The work’s emotional restraint, visual softness, and enigmatic atmosphere contribute to its quiet power. It invites prolonged contemplation and offers viewers a layered sensory experience that transcends the purely visual. As such, it represents a compelling addition to any collection focused on contemporary Chinese art, particularly those that emphasize introspective or narrative figuration.