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This work from Huang Yao’s Children series plays on the fascinating fireflies found in wetlands like those in Kuala Selangor. The lightning bugs become conspicuously luminescent at night. Two children sitting on large boulders express joy, thrilled by the friendly overtures of the fireflies hovering all over them. They seem to be right out of Old Cathay with their patchy hair (turfs on top of forehead and at the sides), a throwback to the Sung Dynasty. They are rapt in their own world, pleased by the smallest and most natural of delights without having to splurge on expensive toys. Commenting on his Children series , Huang Yao revealed: “When I paint, I am like a child on paper, getting up and jumping around a bit, stretching my arms. Times like this, I feel happy as an immortal.”

Huang Yao (alias Wong Yao, Wang Yao), a luminary of the Chinese literati recluse tradition, is known for his upside-down calligraphy called chuyun shu (emerging from the clouds) and Oracle Bone Script. He was Art Editor of the Shanghai Post in 1935 and became famous for his cartoon character Niu BiZi, which is also his nom de plume from 1934 to 1951. He was descended from Wang Xiang, a filial of the Eastern Han Dynasty and his father, Wang Han Chong, was a noted calligrapher. His fame has seen a resurgence since his retrospective exhibition in Singapore in 2001 and the Shanghai Art Museum honoured him with the Huang Yao Exhibition in August 2011. His works are collected by major museums such as the British Museum, Ashmolen Museum (USA), the National Palace Museum of Taiwan and the Shanghai Museum.