Forgetting Sorrow

In China, the orange day-lily (Hemerocallis) has long been associated with easing worry and emotional distress. From at least the Tang dynasty onward, literary sources link the day-lily with motherhood, separation, and quiet endurance. Tang-era poems describe day-lilies growing near the home as loved ones travel far away, tying the flower to waiting rather than to loss. Later historical commentaries and Song-dynasty encyclopedic texts also record the practice of women wearing day-lilies in their hair, believing the plant could help calm sorrow. And because each bloom lasts only a single day, the day-lily naturally became a lasting emblem of how feelings can rise, pass, and return without needing to be forced away.

Watercolor on paper, 2025
24x17 cm