It is said that love can survive anything. But can it trump death, deception, toxicity and privation?

 

In four stories, BUTTERFLY TEARS delivers four different takes on love and loss.

 

From supernatural romance to impossible relationships, Fang Yili revisits Chinese myths and stories in her own way to create a rich and emotional depiction of classic Chinese tales beyond gender, society or condition.

 

The first story, “Tragic romance”, is inspired from the classic Chinese legend “Butterfly lovers”. Zhu Yingtai is the only girl in a nine children family. But she can’t accept that women aren’t allowed to study in college. She decides to attend anyway, posing as a man. There, she meets Liang Shanbo and falls in love with him. But Zhu has to return home and reveal herself as a woman. Liang travels to find Zhu, but unfortunately, their love can’t exist in this life. Will it happen in Death?

 

In “Butterfly Tears”, a butterfly falls in love with a human. But he doesn’t see her for who she is. Still, she knows in her heart that they are destined to be together, even though she’ll die before him. As she transitioned to the next life, she meets Madame Meng, the latter gives her a bowl of a very special soup. Then she waits for the love of her life to cross the Dark Huangquan road. Will they find each other in the next life?

 

In “Lover”, Xiao Lang is a warrior and Dragon whisperer. But he mourns the loss of his lover, Nong Yu, bound by a thousand-year curse. Xiao Lang has waited for centuries to be reunited with his bride. So, when the opportunity finally comes, is it a dream sent by the evil Queen Mother or reality?

 

Finally, “Mr Hua”, analyzes the impact of fate on feelings. Can those from previous lives passed on to the next? Can love transcend gender, space and time?

Visual artist(s): Fang Yili