Chang Yuchen introduces her mother's blossoming creative output in this tenderly composed, jewel-like artist's book
The mother of award-winning artist Chang Yuchen, Niu Jinmei (born 1961) began her own art career at the age of 50, after spending most of her adult life running her own flower shop to support her family's practices. While recovering from surgery and confined to bed, she began drawing on paper with color markers. "The repetitive patterns she created during this time were endearing, stubborn and mysterious all at once," says Yuchen. "Stunned by her explosive productivity, I began compiling and sequencing her drawings." Eventually, Jinmei's artistic output expanded to include materials such as crayons, pastels and acrylic. Stitch-bound with six different jacket variations, ?? jm (titled after the way Jinmei signs her work) is a 458-page volume encompassing her passionate and persistent practice over the past nine years. It includes forewords and an interview by Yuchen, as well as photos of Jinmei's working process taken by her husband.
