The Rooster’s Ballet

This artwork is a vivid artistic dialogue inspired by Henri Matisse’s iconic masterpiece, “The Dance” (La Danse). The piece reimagines Matisse’s circular human figures as a lively chorus of dancing chickens (The Rooster’s Ballet), echoing the original’s raw energy and joyful, rhythmic movement. While the dynamic form pays homage to Western Modernism, the patterns contained within each rooster are deeply rooted in traditional Asian painting, featuring auspicious motifs like the Ten Symbols of Longevity—including mountains, water (waterfalls), the crane, clouds, and pine trees—alongside representative flowers such as the orchid, lotus, and peony. This integration creates a unique blend of global aesthetics. The foundation of the roosters’ bodies uses the orange skin tone that Matisse featured in his original work, establishing a direct connection to the source of inspiration. However, to create a sense of visual harmony and rhythmic pause, one rooster is deliberately differentiated: it is rendered in a dark indigo and prominently features a white crane with classical shoulder clouds. This contrasting figure provides a much-needed moment of stillness and gravity amid the otherwise colorful pattern of the flock. This indigo rooster, the crane-carrier, is intended to be the leader of the ballet, guiding the dance with its unique and sophisticated visual “melody.”