Page 33 - The Parker Collection: Hua Qi Min

"Happy Baby"

Hua Qi Min's painting "Happy Baby" expresses the joy of motherhood, as well as the
happiness of the baby, who is discovering an exciting new world on its own.

Min's vibrant colors add extra exuberance to this delightful scene. The baby is
occupied with the fascinating looking fish, trying to grab it, while the mother
carefully watches the scene. The large and relaxed bulldog (the protector) in the
lower right corner gently watches over mother and child. A delightful family scene,
so it seems. But there is more to this idyllic painting than meets the eye at first
glance.

Hua Qi Min's paintings are based deep in the tradition of China, while making us
aware of what is going on in modern times. He has a subtle and sometimes not so
subtle way to point to issues, which need to be contemplated, such as China's One
Child policy.

Chinese tradition usually favors male heirs to provide financial support and
continuance of the family name. The controversial Chinese One Child policy was
introduced nationally in 1979, to slow the population growth rate. It's estimated to
have prevented 400 million births. However, concerns over China's aging population
left pressure for change. Couples who violated the One Child policy faced a variety of
punishments, from fines and the loss of employment to forced abortions.
In 2005, China had 119 males to every female born baby, which created a great
imbalance, leading to crime and instability, because yin and yang were out of
balance.

The new policy from 2015 allows Chinese couples to have two children in order to
help address the aging population issue in China.