By Yang Yuepu

Dandelion is a beautiful name.

Dandelions are the humble and innocent flowerets that make us recall our childhood and awaken beautiful feelings deep inside ourselves, bringing peace to our souls.

Dandelions are small but strong and full of vitality. They grow and bloom throughout the year. What is adorable about dandelions is that they not only have small yellow blossoms but they also have seeds that fly through the air with joy and pride like little white parachutes. These seeds go wherever they want, then settle down and grow. Dandelions grow independently and are rarely found in clusters, but they survive gracefully in every corner on earth. Dandeli carries the spirit of dandelion — it aims to bring art into people’s life and help them to communicate with art, so that happiness and peace grows in everyone’s heart.

Those artists who became the first artists presented by Dandeli are lucky. The ones that I know have all accomplished achievements in China. I admire them because I understand the type of hardship they had undergone to pursue their dream of art. These artists started to receive education in the arts in the mid-1960s. During China’s Cultural Revolution from 1966 to 1976, their school life was interrupted and they were sent to work on farms in rural areas. These artists, who are now in their late 50s and 60s, faced more challenges in their youth and made more life-changing efforts in their midlife than generations preceding them and generation succeeding them. Luckily, China’s reform and opening up starting from 1979 offered these artists a chance to reset their life goals and resume their art pilgrimage. I have known Ms. Zhao Xiuhuan, one of Dandeli’s artists, for many years. From the end of 1970s to the 1980s, Zhao poured her heart into gongbi style painting, and created quite a few important works that established her style and reputation in China. She did not give up on her beloved gongbi painting after she moved to the U.S. in late 1980s.  When she lived in the U.S., Zhao continued to practice and improve her skills and develop her unique artistic style. Many of her paintings have been exhibited in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and other countries and collected by domestic and overseas collectors. Zhao Xiuhuan is representative of the Chinese artists of her generation — their honest artwork tells stories of their experiences and their unique language of art communicates their innermost feelings.

China’s art market is becoming more and more mature, which bring new opportunities to Chinese artists and art dealers. The development of the art market in China lags behind that in other countries, yet China’s art galleries, auctions and expositions, which are the key components of an art market, have developed quickly in the last 20 years. Although still very young, China’s art market has enormous potential and is full of life, just like dandelions. At present, the domestic art collector group is rapidly expanding and their confidence in China’s own artists is strong. The need for arts from the public is also growing.  An increasing number of artists have realized that it is hard for arts to survive without market recognition and good commercial arrangements. Indeed, China’s art market is in the best position ever with an abundant supply of artists and artwork and a strong demand from the collectors and the public, which are both important for the success of galleries. The timing of launching Dandeli is great — the gallery should utilize this golden opportunity to make its unique contribution to China’s contemporary art market.

A painting that I’ve seen portrays a lovely little girl blowing the flurry seeds off a dandelion. This painting sheds light on at least on thing — that is Dandeli needs “wind” to bring the seeds of art to wherever they are in need. The “wind” is the business strategies of the gallery, the good artworks by the artists, and the wisdom and skills of professional art agents. And the “wind” can send Dandeli to where it wants to go.

Good luck Beijing for embracing a good time;
Good luck CBD for being in such a good location; and
Fly Dandeli!