Chinese Bird-and-Flower Painting Revisited (2026–ongoing)

In Fragrances, Steve Lecru (3Dots) brings the graffiti gestures of his Chinese landscape series into a more intimate setting. The eye moves from mountains and valleys to a branch, a vase, or a bird poised among leaves. At this scale, a single mark can change the character of a flower.

In one work, hot-pink lettering takes the shape of a bloom, while cartoon petals and glossy droplets punctuate the composition. In another, a small bird leans toward a cluster of fruit outlined in thick black strokes. Some marks follow the forms already there. Others spill into the space around them, giving the composition a new rhythm.

The title Fragrances suggests something a painting can make us imagine. A few branches in a vase can evoke a scent, a season, or the memory of a room. Lecru’s additions bring that same sense of movement to the image, letting the energy of a blossom travel beyond its edges.