Born in Tongxiao, Miaoli County, Ju Ming's childhood years in the countryside left a deep mark in his heart; his affection for his native soil was the key that opened his artistic life. "My time in the countryside is over," he once said, "but it grows ever more vivid in the wood shaped by my chisel point. I find happiness in expressing my nostalgia with methods and materials familiar to me." There is no better way for an artist to express his creative philosophy and inspiration than by drawing material from the native land he knows best. One of the most iconic symbols of pastoral Taiwan is the water buffalo. In Water Buffalo (Lot 3387), three buffalo walk silently forward; the front and back buffalo have their heads bowed, but the middle one raises its head to look up with an air of determination that is very affecting. Utilizing the natural grain of the wood without polish, Ju Ming shows the hard work and vitality of the buffalo and expresses his strong affection for his rural home, conveying his grass-roots nature along with his concern and passion for the land.