Exhibition celebrating the symbol of the new year 2023 opens in Moscow

The First Moscow Gallery of Oriental Art has opened the exhibition The Rabbit Hole of 1000 li, dedicated entirely to the symbol of the coming year. The black water rabbit is reflected in silk and carved seals, sculpture and netsuke.

"The main aim of the exhibition is to tell the viewer about the symbol. After all, in the West it is perceived in one way, while in the Chinese tradition it is reflected quite differently. This symbol is very multi-faceted. In the exhibition, we showed its three main images: the Moon Rabbit - Chang Ae's companion, the Rabbit and the Golden Raven - the opposites of yin and yang, the sun and the moon, and of course the Rabbit - the patron of the year," said Wang Dongmei, a painter.

The exhibition, as conceived by the artists Wang Dongmei and Nikita Strukov, has a double title: in Chinese and Russian. For the residents of the Celestial Empire, it sounds like the "River Rabbit and the Golden Crow" - an image that tells about the endless cycle of time. In Russian, the exposition is called "The rabbit hole of 1,000 li".

"The rabbit hole is a reference to Lewis Carroll. 1000 li is a Chinese image: 'The path of 1000 li begins under your feet'. Here too, the title speaks of an endless path - a path of learning that opens up beneath one's feet. Some image arouses interest, and then you can 'sink' into its depth for as long as you have the patience and interest," said Valeria Rudina, curator of the Moscow First Gallery of Oriental Art.

The exhibition featured ten traditional Chinese arts, ranging from sie yi (idea painting) and calligraphy to heediao (carving on fruit pips).