3 Friends In Winter - Bamboo Painting

Trees are ancient and eternal. They are also serene and mysterious, functioning as an enduring symbol of Nature’s powerful presence in Man’s lives. In Buddhist tradition, Buddha meditated for seven weeks under a sacred banyan tree before attaining enlightenment. One of Zeus’ oracles was a whispering Oak tree located in Epirus, Greece. And in Norse mythology, a giant ash green tree, Yggdrasil, stood in the center of the universe governing the nine Norse worlds. These stories define the idea that Man is as much a part of Nature as Nature is a part of Him. Evidently carried forward through the ages, mankind and the natural world are shown to not be binary opposites, but are, in fact, inexplicably connected.  “3 Friends in Winter” is about this harmonious partnership between Man and Nature. Different trees hold many different symbolic meanings across cultures and contexts, yet a simple idea remains throughout: Man and Nature are one.  In Chinese tradition, the Pine, Bamboo and Plum together has symbolised unwavering friendship and remarkable perseverance from as early as the 1200s (Yuan Dynasty). This combination perfectly encapsulates the relationship between Man and Nature, and between the viewers of this painting and the painting itself. What transpires when looking intimately at its details is a psychological process not unlike that of meditation: drawn into a world outside the pressures of modern life, where everything is peaceful and free, viewers are invited to contemplate what is missing from their lives – indeed, it must be Nature; a sense of slowing down to appreciate what has always been important to us before it is too late.