The beauty of everyday life: the painting "White Landscape" at the exposition "Legacy for the Future"

The authors of the works at the exposition "Legacy for the Future" in the National Centre RUSSIA bring to light a wealth of profound meanings and reflect significant ideas about the past, present, and future of humanity. Gao Xiaowei from China presented his painting "White Landscape," created in 2024.

The work depicts a simple, unembellished factory yard. Painted predominantly in overcast gray and white tones, it features not a single living soul in the scene, yet it is filled with eloquent details that narrate the everyday life of ordinary workers.

Here is a modest washstand equipped with several taps at once — likely to prevent large crowds of workers coming off their shifts. Nearby, a couple of neatly parked cars, presumably belonging to the more "well-off" workers. A bit further away, two bicycles are stationed, evidently rented by less affluent employees. Through the dreary color palette, the yellow frames of the bicycles timidly emerge. One cannot help but think how delightful it would be to take a ride on a sunny day off, perhaps to a picturesque green meadow for a picnic.

The artist also encourages a bit of imagination about what the factory building might have been in the past. A small detail aids the viewer in this reflection — a red-orange spot breaking through the peeling gray-and-white plaster of the building's facade. Perhaps it was a residential home. Perhaps even a theater. Or maybe it was the same factory, originally built from bright brick, now blending seamlessly into the overcast landscape.

At the same time, the painting captures the everyday beauty that is easy to overlook. And in doing so, the way of life and the world of feelings of ordinary people take on a special radiance and warmth, hidden beneath the white landscape of daily life.