Style Imitating Art | “On the Way” by Hao Ping

About Style Imitating Art

Style Imitating Art is hosted by Salazar of 14 Shades of Grey, Shelbee of Shelbee on the Edge, and Marsha of Marsha in the Middle. Style Imitating Art challenges us to draw style inspiration from pieces of art. Every other Monday, one of the hosts, acting as presenter, selects an inspiration image that they will each post on their blogs. The following Monday, each host shares her art inspired outfit. Participants are invited to submit their art inspired outfits to the presenter by 10:00 p.m. EST on the Tuesday following the hosts’ art inspired outfit posts. The following day, Wednesday, the presenter will share all of the submissions on her blog.

You don’t have to be a blogger to join either! In fact, you don’t even have to join but you can still use the art to inspire an outfit just for the sake of trying something different. If you want to share your inspired outfit, we invite you do so on Instagram or any other social media platform that you prefer. Just be sure to tag Salazar, Shelbee, or Marsha or use #TeamLOTSStyle and #StyleImitatingArt so the hosts know you have joined. Go have some fun in your closets and join the SIA challenge next week!

This Week’s Presenter

After her recent visit to Yunnan, China, Salazar chose this week’s art by Hao Ping of the Yunnan Art School. She ultimately settled on this piece “because the colors are more subtle but still vibrant, plus, there’s a yak!”

The Artwork

“On the Way” by Hao Ping

About the Artist: Hao Ping

Hao Ping was born in 1952 in Yunnan, China. He graduated from the Department of Fine Art of Yunnan Art College in 1980 and continued his art studies at the Central Fine Art College in 1986. By the early 1990s, he had been appointed as a member of various Chinese artist associations. His prints and paintings have been widely exhibited throughout China as well as the United States, Japan, and Europe. His woodcut prints are emphasized by their large size with most measuring from 60 x 60 cm (23.4 x 23.4 inches) to 90 x 90 cm (35 x 35 inches).

Through the use of bold color, geometric composition, and varying levels of abstraction, the subject matter of Hao Ping’s prints focuses on the cultural experiences and the colorful folklore of the ethnic minorities of Southeastern China. Following a “cultural revolution”, the artist held his first woodcut exhibition which boosted his influence in the art of modern Chinese printmaking.

About the Art: “On the Way”

“On the Way” is a 1993 woodblock print in oil based inks on pliable Chinese paper of medium thickness. It portrays a young woman with black hair from the Eastern regions of the Yunnan province sitting on the ground next to a yak. The woman and the animal seem to be taking a much appreciated break on their journey.

The wood block measures 51.0 x 50.5 cm (20.1 x 19.9 inches) with the print measuring a bit smaller at 38 x 38 cm (15 x 15 inches).

Resources/References

• Hao Ping – Contemporary Chinese Art
• On the Way: Ping Hao
• Ronan Gallery: Hao, Ping
• The Japanese Art Open Database: Hao Ping “On the Way”

About My Outfit

I struggled at first, having set my heart on a denim shirt and a yellow skirt, similar to what the woman in the painting is wearing. But alas, it is summertime and it is way too hot and humid for a long sleeved chambray shirt and a velvet skirt.

So I went into that big box of beautiful that Daenel sent to me a few months ago and found this gorgeous multi patterned turquoise silk wrap skirt. The colors and the prints were a wonderful reflection of the colors and patterns in the woodblock print. I paired the skirt with an old thrifted turquoise tank top and added a long yellow floral kimono robe to represent the woman’s long yellowish skirt.

I opted for cowgirl boots once again because if I were traveling with a yak, I am thinking that cowgirl boots are the most practical footwear for such an occasion. My newest boots in tan with floral embroidery coordinated wonderfully with the blues and yellows in my outfit.

To bring in the hints of red that appear in the yak’s eyes as well as the woman’s lips and jewelry, I added my pink and red wooden beaded necklace and my carnelian mala beads. My kantha fabric beaded necklace reminded me of the large beaded necklace that the woman is wearing in the artwork and my recycled rag earrings coordinated in the very best way.

I really wanted to pay tribute the beautiful yak in this painting but I have nothing with yaks. Instead I wore my elephant hat since elephants are animals native to the Yunnan province in China. And the colors worked really well with the overall palette of my outfit also brining in some hints of red.

In the end, I absolutely loved this outfit and will definitely be wearing it again!

How did I do? Does this outfit adequately represent the artwork?

Be sure to check out Salazar’s interpretation of the artwork as well as Marsha’s take on it. If you would like to participate in this challenge and have your photo included in Salazar’s round up post on Wednesday, July 31, 2024, be sure to email your photos to her by Tuesday, July 30, 2024, by 10:00 p.m. EST. I am excited to see what you all style!

Keeping it on the edge,

Shelbee

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