Before I write my reflections of Chinoiserie or Japonaiserie… I am suddenly reminded of this incredibly terrible song that I love.

But all the songs I love are terrible.

I was never quite able to comprehend anything in this video. I couldn’t quite place my finger on whether it was meant to be Chinese inspired, Japanese inspired, or even Southeast-Asian inspired.

Well now I know it’s called Chinoiserie. Good lord.

No disrespect to Chinoiserie art, but as a Chinese who has grown up watching various historical and fictional dramas of ancient China, I cannot take this video seriously due to it’s incredible appropriation.

Also, bad acting is bad. And hilarious.

I appreciate both Chinese art and Japanese art…
And both Chinoiserie art and Japonaiserie art are gorgeous.

But when I compare Japanese art and Japonaiserie art, I feel a little critical of the way the subtleties of Japanese art are often lost.

Japonaiserie art is far more grandoise and extravagant compared to the almost minimalistic aesthetics of Japanese art. Especially in the woodblock prints.

Both prints are gorgeous in their own way, and neither is strictly “better” than the other. It just happens to be a matter of tastes. And I just happen to appreciate more subtle art. I like the choice of colours in the original print by Hiroshige, along with the soft gradients in the branches of the trees. On the other hand, the Van Gogh creates a dynamic interpretation of the Flowering Plum Tree with his choice of Vermillion and Yellow-Greens. I cannot emphasise on how both are gorgeous works of art, and that I love them both, but that it is simply a matter of personal preferences and of artistic choice.

That being said, I do genuinely appreciate Chinoiserie a little more than its Japanese counterpart.

Personally, my family has a couple of Chinese Ink and Watercolour scrolls of cranes, commissioned from China, and also a few Chinese paintings hung up in my grandmother’s home. On top of that, we have buddhist idols on the alter (my grandmother is buddhist), and a single Chinese(?) vase in the shape of a koi.

As a child, I loved the watercolour scrolls. They were so delicate, so Chinese, and yet not overwhelming. The thick brushstrokes balanced perfectly with the few dashes of colour on the cranes.

On the other hand, I always felt that the statues in my grandmother’s home were too brightly coloured, and too detailed. There were too many embellishments, too many colours. I liked the gentle curves of the statues, but since they were for prayer, I couldn’t touch them.

In many ways, Chinese culture and art has always been a love-hate relationship for me. I liked the ancient Chinese dress-sense, in long flowing gowns and robes… but I didn’t quite like the Manchu garments. The style changes so much, I can only like certain aspects of it.

Strangely and surprisingly, I have quite enjoyed the Chinoiserie art that I’ve seen so far. I like the delicate blend of western elements and Chinese elements in the art works. I appreciate how the most subtle of the Chinese art has been extracted and worked on, rather than blatant copying and appropriation of the art. I also enjoy how the art has been interpreted, creating a whimsical fantasy and dreamlike impression of what China was like. To be honest, it isn’t quite far from the fleeting fantasies of ancient China that I myself imagine.

I would probably like to decorate my room with the wallpaper above, probably sparingly as too much can become distasteful. I like how the base colour of the wallpaper is a simple, clean white, while it is embellished with pastel pinks, blues and green that glisten and reflect light. I’d probably have a couple of paintings if I could afford it. I’d like them to be of Chinese gardens and couples in love, because the Chinese do tell fabulous love stories.

I might even like a single porcelain jar.

I know that this is a picture of a Baby’s bottle, but I do like the prints on it. White and blue, clearly inspired by Chinese porcelain, but the patterns are not quite Chinese and contain european influences of an almost rococo-style.

(I actually like rococo art. Is that why Chinoiserie appeals to me so much? The only thing that I don’t quite like about rococo is how it’s “too much”. I like the curves and the leaves and floral embellishments, but quantity is not quality. In my room, I’d like to have a few intricately made furniture, and the rest of a more tone-down style. Tee hee c:  I kind of enjoyed this question a lot.)