Grapes 4

180*150cm, 2017

This oil painting presented here, while ostensibly depicting grapes, focuses more on using the green foliage of grapevines to express the rhythmic vitality inherent in the life of grapes.

Niu has chosen a vibrant palette dominated by various shades of green, interspersed with bursts of other colors, to evoke the lushness and dynamic growth of the vines. The composition is alive with movement; the strokes and splashes of paint suggest the organic forms of leaves and the chaotic, yet harmonious, dance of nature. The green, as a color of growth and renewal, serves as a metaphor for the life force of the grapevines. The darker tones can be interpreted as shadows or the soil from which the vines draw their sustenance, grounding the painting in a sense of place and the physicality of growth.

The fluidity of the lines and the layering of colors create a sense of depth and complexity, much like the ecosystem in which grapevines thrive. The use of contrasting colors—yellows against greens, darks against lights—also plays into the theme of vibrancy and rhythm, highlighting the interplay between light and shadow, and how sunlight filters through and animates the foliage. It is a painting that seems less concerned with the literal representation of grapes and more interested in capturing the essence and energy of their growth.

The abstract approach allows the viewer to feel the movement and the life of the vineyard, with the gestural brushwork providing a visual symphony that one can almost hear and feel, echoing the pulsating rhythms of nature.