Amid the thick bamboo hides a butterfly with strong wings by Debra Di Blasi*
Chinese brush, sumi ink and watercolor on raw mulberry paper, 10.25" x 18.5"
A Chinese tennis coach to Li Na: “If I were teaching a pig, it would have learned by now.” The Chinese say: “A strict teacher makes for an excellent student.” In the rigid Chinese sports system, no one asked if she wanted to play tennis. Train and train, internalize the joyless, harsh voice within. After Li Na has some success, she complains: “If I have no freedom, I am going to quit.” Then Danfei, flying solo. After winning grand slam championships, she does not thank China. To the youth who adore her, she is Big Sister Na. A personality, a presence, not a communist tool for the greater good. She makes fun of her husband’s snoring, his weight, his luck in finding a wealthy woman like her. In China Daily, the mouthpiece of the Chinese party: Li Na’s “insolence” goes against “social customs and traditions.” As the most marketable athlete in China’s history, more people watched her win the French Open than watched the Super Bowl. Andre Agassi her favorite player: long hair, freedom, earring, rebel. The Chinese middle class booms. Millions more play tennis, the most individual of sports. A rose tattoo’s hidden on Li Na’s chest. Who does not want to rebel?
This article was originally published in Another Chicago Magazine.
* About the Artist:
Known for her innovative prose, Debra Di Blasi has received numerous awards and is the author of eight books. Her most recent work, Selling the Farm, just won the 2019 Nonfiction Award (C&R Press) and will be published in September, 2020. In the world of the visual arts, Debra Di Blasi took a BFA in painting and later worked as art critic and contributing writer for The Pitch, SOMA San Francisco arts magazine, and The New Art Examiner. Her visual and multimedia art has been exhibited at museums and galleries in the U.S. and online. Nostos Journal of Poetry, Fiction and Art published a portfolio of her Chinese brush painting in Volume III 2019, including cover art. You can learn more about Debra Di Blasi and her wide-ranging work on her website.
On Painting Li Na:
Some comments below taken from Debra Di Blasi’s emails to me:
“It's a bit socialist-art style, which I kind of like. (We have quite a bit of Vietnam and China socialist-style posters, prints and statues, so it was not a big leap.)”
“The paper, by the way, is unbleached mulberry, which I love. Slightly thicker and tougher than Yuanshu bamboo paper, with wood particles visible.”
“The ‘chops’ (carved jade stamps with Xiling Red Seal Ink Paste] are: (smaller) "debra di blasi" carved vertically, and (larger) a phonetic translation of "debra di blasi" into Chinese characters, which was a gift from my husband purchased during one of his trips to China. I had a Hong Kong chop-maker create the small one for me when we lived there.”
“I slept on the request for relevant text and here's what I dreamed: ‘Amid the thick bamboo hides a butterfly with strong wings.’ I'm going with my subconscious.” Debra and I both thought these words might be a good title for the work.
If you wish to make any comments on “Li Na,” feel free to leave them below or contact me. My other innovative short writings on tennis, along with free audio recordings to download, are available on my website.