When the moon swells to its brightest, the Mid-Autumn Festival 中秋节 unfolds like a poem across the night sky. Lanterns glow, families gather, and the air carries the sweetness of mooncakes and memory. It is a festival of reunion, of gazing upward together and finding in the moon’s calm radiance a reflection of our own ties: past and present, near and far.

For this collection, we turn to a palette inspired by the festival’s essence: red, a color of warmth, luck, and connection. Red is not only a festive hue but also a thread that runs through much of Chinese contemporary art. Ai Weiwei (b. 1957, Beijing)’s radical reimaginings of heritage, Yue Minjun (b. 1962, Heilongjiang)’s satirical laughter, and Zhang Xiaogang (b. 1958, Kunming)’s quiet portraits of family and history trace the shifting soul of contemporary China.

Jia Aili (b. 1979, Dandong)’s dreamscapes are where fragility and wonder meet. Each, in their own way, reminds us that art too is a lantern, shedding light on what binds us across generations. Just as the moon reflects light across oceans and time, these works illuminate shared histories and collective memory.

And so, as you celebrate, take a moment to look up at the moon and think of those you love, whether they are near or far. Share a story, a meal, or a simple gesture of care. The Mid-Autumn Festival reminds us that joy lives in togetherness, and that even across distances, we remain bound by light, memory, and love.