The 36 Days I Roam: A Long Poem and a Series of Paintings by artist, Cui Jinzhe, is a multi-media art collection comprising of different art mediums including painting, poetry, prose, and consisting of 38 original artworks and one long narrative poem.
In the book, the author draws upon elements of her Chinese heritage, many of which, such as, symbols, idioms, etc, are present throughout the book.ย
She utilizes narrative poetry to reveal a powerful story behind each painting. The stories are simple and yet complex. The imagery is vivid and often symbolic. The paintings themselves prompt self-reflectionย and deep thought.
True to traditional Chinese book form, the book is formatted to be opened and read from left to right, meaning that the standard last page is actually the first page and vice versa. Though, readers may choose to start the book from either page, depending on their inclination or if they feel creatively inspired to do so.
Its unique format and style make the book easy to be held within both palms, encouraging reflection and contemplation in readers. Each blank page within the book is meant to inspire creativity; on these blank pages, one can draw, write, paint, or simply let their imagination run wild.
Excerpt from The 36 Days I Roam: A Long Poem and a Series of Paintings by Cui Jinzhe:
โAt dawn
when the moon is lowered
the sun is bursting out
from the horizon
of the Impermanence Art Wonderland
the 24 creators living on the ninth to twelfth levels
focus on their creation with ecstasy
Each creatorโs artwork
generates one solar term
in the human world
The universe connects these 24 solar terms
to outline the whole year of the human world
completely
Things are naturally born
and die
in their orders โฆโ