Five Flames, pigments and ox gall on paper

Five flame-shaped blossoms radiate from a single axis, their elongated red forms tipped with amber highlights, suggesting motion held at the moment of rise. Each bud turns outward with subtle variation, creating a quiet symmetry that resists rigidity. The composition expands from a narrow, grounded base—two deep green leaves anchoring the form—before branching into a controlled fan of stems and petals.

The background remains deliberately restrained: pale battal veining, softly cellular, drifts behind the figure without interrupting its clarity. Technical control is evident in the clean separation between figure and ground—the pigments neither feather nor sink, and the flame-like edges retain their sharpness. Five Flames explores multiplicity without chaos, presenting growth as balance: repetition tempered by nuance, energy organized through discipline.