Obsessed with Chinese culture

“Slow First Kisses” (watercolor collage), by Greater Boston painter Nancy DuVergne Smith, in her show “Moon Gates and Other Chinese Signs,’’ at Galatea Fine Art, Boston, March 1-31.

She says:

"I fell in love with Chinese culture as a teenager. Perhaps because my father began to resemble a small Chinese man as he aged and, indeed, there was a Chinese community where he grew up in the Mississippi delta. Maybe because it was the most exotic culture I could imagine. Slowly I have made some of it mine. My wedding included Chinese music and rituals. My husband and I traveled to China twice: once to adopt our daughter, a second time to introduce her birth country to her. We celebrate Chinese New Year and the Autumn Moon Festival. I meet regularly with my Jiejies (older sisters) who are Chinese, Korean and American. In the past two years, I have added an addiction to Chinese dramas (C-dramas), TV serials depicting human ambitions, romances, celebrations and struggles in ancient and modern times. I’ve even picked up a little of the language and calligraphy. I love the architecture, gardens, art, poetry, food, and admire individuals’ ambitions, resilience and sense of humor. Paintings in this “Moon Gate” series share glimpses of my China passion.



Before eating the apple

“Eden’s Color-Full Inhabitants” (watercolor) by West Newton, Mass.-based Nancy DuVergne Smith, in her show “Skins and Petals: Living Color,’’ at Galatea Fine Art, Boston, Dec. 2-Jan. 8.

She says:

“My paintings involve vibrant things—water, plants, and people—in the magic of watercolor. This medium meshes rich colors and the flow of water to create a living entity that mingles and changes as it dries. Each painting is a conversation with time and intention. Art like this invites us to return, reconsider, and refresh.’’

Windermere Road, in affluent West Newton, a suburban Eden.

— Photo by John Phelan