In a foggy scene without any spatial and geographical attribute, an old lady dressed as Meng Po stands in the middle of the composition, with the artist and his partner on her left and right sides. The three figures simultaneously hold a bowl of Meng Po Soup in their hands. Having white hair and rosy complexion, the old lady looks absolutely fabulous in an elegant and cultured gesture—she holds a green porcelain bowl in her left hand and gently pinches her cuff with her right hand. On the right side, the artist’s partner has his right hand in his pocket, while he picks up the Meng Po Soup with his left hand and slightly lifts his chin up to drain the bowl in one gulp. On the left side, the artist lowers his head a bit and looks thoughtfully at the last sip of the Meng Po Soup in the bowl, which is nothing if not profound and vivid.
The Arch of Oblivion towers behind the three figures. Cheung’s autobiographical rendering brings the legend to life. What makes this work more inimitable is that the artist anachronically used the forward, backward and loop buttons of a remote control in the electronic era to suggest reincarnation, thereby keeping to the legend of “Giving the Forgetfulness Potion.”
｜Wang Che-Hsiung
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