Cyan, a simple but elegant color, perhaps best represents the current artistic state and cultural ideal of artist Xia Yu. Graduated from China Central Academy of Fine Arts (CCAFA) as an oil painting major, Xia Yu is nonetheless very interested in Chinese literati paintings before Yuan dynasty. In his view, cyan is the color that most appropriately represents Chinese literati traditions. However, by now, almost all of these traditions have disappeared. Therefore, Xia Yu sometimes defines himself as a “wordy bookish man”, in the hope of contributing his humble efforts to the continuation of these traditions. At the same time, he disdains his “wordiness” as well. In his eyes, the essence of painting should be “portrayal”, so “there is really no need to ramble too much.” Then, how should we interpret this kind of conflict in Xia Yu? For my part, it is more of the artist’s choice to honestly follow his heart and shoulder his responsibility than the permanent contradictions between art and society and between spirit detachment and worldly life.