Kate Beynon Graveyard scene/the beauty and sadness of bones

This work is based on a scene from An-Li, a Chinese ghost tale, a re-telling of an old supernatural story. In a secret nocturnal visit, a woman sits mournfully with the spectral form of her acrobat son. Small, skeletal, hybrid animal figures try to comfort her and, although sorrowful, there are signs of hope and healing. An-Li holds a heart that sprouts like a vegetable, a bowl features the phoenix – an auspicious image of transformation – while a lotus flower unexpectedly blooms. Able to germinate even after a thousand years, lotus seeds signify a connection to the Earth and possible future beginnings.

- Kate Beynon, 2015

This work is now in the collection of Geelong Gallery.