Motherhood is never an easy job, and comes with a lot of responsibilities. The pressure of it is mounting especially when a mother also seeks to have a career.

▲ 《松·菊》何香凝 何香凝美术馆藏

Today I'd like to talk about a mother who was also a revolutionary, social activist, advocate for women's rights and artist.

She is He Xiangning (1878-1972), one of the greatest women of 20th-century China.

她就是何香凝。何先生是中国近现代最伟大的女性之一。

▲ 何香凝在巴黎 1930年左右

He is renowned for her achievements in the country's social transformations. While her talent as a gifted painter is lesser known, although she studied natural sciences and fine arts at women's schools. She was the chairperson of China Artists Association in 1960.

The exhibition New Paintings of Flowing Water and High Mountains, now at the He Xiangning Art Museum in Shenzhen, shows He's accomplishment in art, displaying a courageous and heroic spirit through her works.

▲ 《马》何香凝 何香凝美术馆藏

Ever since she was a girl, He showed intelligence and meanwhile had an independent mind.

何香凝自小就是很聪颖的，同时思想独立。

Her pursuit of freedom troubled her father He Zai, a successful businessman in Hong Kong.

何香凝的父亲何载是香港有名的富商。在那个时代，有这么一个积极进取、追求自由的女儿，作为父亲的何载是很烦恼的。

▲ 《高松立海隅》何香凝 何香凝美术馆藏

The ninth child of her parents, He Xiangning was excluded from the sishu homeschooling structure by her father, who believed girls did not need to learn.

何香凝在家里排行第九。何载在家里办私塾，他深信“女子无才便是德”，不允许何香凝在私塾就读。

But she managed to educate herself by using her allowances for books used at sishu.

何香凝就把父母给的零用钱存起来，买来私塾上读的书自学。

▲ 《枫·菊·石》何香凝 何香凝美术馆藏

She opposed strongly her parents' desire to bind her feet. She hid a pair of scissors in the family altar, and used it to cut the bandages.

何香凝极力反抗缠足。她在家里祭祖的香炉坛下藏了把剪刀，每次被缠完足就把缠脚布剪断。

She repeated this several times until her parents finally gave up the hideous practice. So, she grew up to have two feet of normal size.

如此重复反抗了几次，父母终于放弃。于是，何香凝有了一双当时不常见的所谓“大脚”。

▲ 《菊》何香凝 何香凝美术馆藏

She sold her dowry to finance herself and her husband, Liao Zhongkai, to live and study in Japan.

何香凝还曾变卖自己的嫁妆，用来支持自己和丈夫廖仲恺赴日留学。

▲ 何香凝和廖承志在东京 1909年

He Xiangning is known for her depictions of beastly animals, such as lions and tigers, to symbolize the awakening awareness of a nation.

何香凝对于诸如狮子和老虎等猛兽的描绘实乃一绝，她用栩栩如生的刻画来象征一个民族的觉醒。

▲ 《狮》何香凝 何香凝美术馆藏

She also frequently painted plants which represent high morality in the Chinese cultural traditions, such as pine trees, bamboos and chrysanthemums.

那些在中国文化传统中代表高贵品格的植物也出现在何香凝的画中，比如松，竹、菊。

▲ 《绿梅》何香凝 何香凝美术馆藏

She continued painting in her later years. She said painting wouldn't tire her, she had been painting all her life and felt happiest right then.

直到晚年香凝先生也一直在画。她说画画不会累着她的，她画了一辈子了，最开心的就是现在画画的时候。

▲ 晚年的香凝先生在作画

Photos courtesy of He Xiangning Art Museum

图片致谢何香凝美术馆