Lot Essay
Complementing his theme of reminiscence and childhood memories, Liu's fine, detailed strokes and use of dark shades of umber enriches the work with subtle colored variations and spatial depth. Having grown up in the aftermath of the Cultural Revolution during the 1970s, Lau's childhood was marked with poverty and hope for the future. His young protagonists are depicted playing in different settings, yet each individual occupies their own space and do not interact with each other. The scenery seems artificially constructed, and its distorted ratio to the characters imbues the environment with a surrealistic aura. The children are somber and quietly composed, and the work reverberates with mysterious allegories.