Many Years later 

(Or twenty some years ago

My permanent exhibition titled Fung On -Meeting of Peace)

A revisitation

Of some moments of Peace 

Of some moments of freedom

In the expressions of Fly, my Violet

Oh, Fly, on canvas

Very big canvas

Or 

Or of Hope, colourful traces left on the canvas of After the Rain...

All realised

 in the country side of Florence

Where I first met the wild boars of Conte Rossi (Thank You )

A very brief stay in the River Nile

Where the stain of the raw canvas brings me back to the dream world of Frankenthaler

But are these statements of

Or are they still valid as deep down realities?

Only one thing I know for certain

Here at Lexis,

A place that kindly hosts this single permanent exhibition without cost

many of my solo exhibitions were held since 1984

And where I met one of the most beautiful persons in Florence

Elisabetta

Who first invited me to use this space to show my complete work of each season

And Elisabetta

somehow left us 

some years ago

Revisiting my work years later

And to this special location

I seemed to have heard her voice in the air

A kind voice

which whispers

Peace on earth, like the Chinese title of this show ‘ Fung On’- Meeting of Peace

Thank you Elisabetta

for having been a great friend

Thank you Lexis 

May peace be with you and be with those who visit this magical place

Bernadette 

( Lexis, an International language Institute where I taught the first workshop in Chinese calligraphy and etymology, is located in Florence, Italy : Via Gioberti 74 . Kindly call Lexis at +39 055 241822 for making an appointment  if one wishes to view the show. Thank You )

The Following poem ‘Fung On’ in Italian was written by Gianni Giampietro ( Father Johnny ) in Hong Kong in the ‘90s , in Italian, It was a period where some important abstract works I did were inspired by his poems such as the Violet story, etc.

Vengo da lontano 

Vengo dall’Oriente

Per incontrare chi?

Ho portato dei doni

E la bellezza della seta

Ho incontrato la Pace 

L’ho ricoperta di seta

L’ho adornata con il loto

Fragranza di Pace

Pace di loto

Incontro di Pace

( Fung on 逢安 was the Chinese name given to Antonio by Father Johnny/ Gianni恩保德This poem was composed to commemorate the birth of this new name of Antonio. The poem in Chinese was translated by me )

從遠方來

從東方來

與誰相逢？

帶着厚禮

芙蓉之香

絲綢之美

與平安相逢

蓋以絲綢

鑲以芙蓉

平安之香氣

芙蓉之平安

平安之相逢