While Western art emphasises precise and perfect details on the surface, Chinese art focuses on the inner meaning of the subject. This is an aspect of Chinese art that fascinates Jacqueline Simcox, who specialises in Chinese and central Asian silk textiles.
“In the West we have become accustomed to looking at the surface decoration,” she explains. “Chinese art has many layers of meaning.” She gave an example of flowers on Chinese textiles; they are not just for decoration but often express an inner essence: flowers blossoming in the winter can represent fortitude.
