| "Recluse" by Ha Bik-chuen. When Ha went on a European tour in the mid-1990s, one of the stops was Ronchamp in eastern France. The purpose of this long journey was to see for himself the Chapel of Notre Dame du Haut, a work of the renowned architect Le Corbusier. Yet, in "Recluse", besides rendering a true outline of the chapel, Ha creates a poetic and rhythmic ambiance with an original artistic idiom. He uses symbolism to invoke a state of calm which is out of this world. The white cloud represents "heaven", and the twin leaves, "earth"; heaven and earth are connected by the doves, with the chapel in the centre. This is one of Ha's favourite pieces, and was eventually used on the final page of his Requiem Mass's programme, a perfect conclusion to his artistic life. |
