Two famous quotations say: “A resolved man would rather sacrifice his life than suffer insults,” and “Give me liberty, or give me death.” Liberty is the living courage, the inspiration that keeps the torch of creation aflame. Captivity implies loss of liberty, and none are so ironic for liberty as smiles bred in captivity.
Cheung painted three caged smiley Maitreyas in this work, which carries a bitter undertone that his happiness is incarcerated and his will distorted. He can do no other thing than resort to the hazy starry heavens for the flickering, unknown answer.
|Wang Che-Hsiung, art critic
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