During the scorching summer, while swimming with friends, I caught a glimpse of twisting bodies beneath the water, while above the surface I could see complete, wise faces... Water is life, society, surroundings, culture. No one can deny the enjoyment that "water" brings. And at the same time, day after day, no one can endure all of the constraints that "water" brings, with its worries and misgivings, changing of shape and even loss. In "water" I can never truly be me, but I am forever struggling to know my true self and to get an answer to life's questions, but then to lose the previous answers. I am full of contradictions. "Who am I?" is not the kind of question which ever can be answered, no matter how much one tries. It is more of an inexhaustible search far into ifinity for an answer which is unobtainable. In any one person, there are always at least seven or eight contradictory "me's," which one is not always aware of. In a sense, it can be said that everyone is their own "familiar stranger."         Morgan's (Xiao Guofu) work captures the authentic nature of contemporary China, producing a social commentary on changing emotions within society. His paintings embody an intense and highly personal view of his homeland expanding on the themes of individualism, desire and reality. Morgan explores life in contemporary China through a skillful blending of artistic technique and his personal reflection on urban culture. His figurative works are created with an uninhibited truthfulness resulting in narratives rich in meaning as we witness figures, individuals or couples, floating on a canvas of monochromatic water. Distinctive and passionate, the works provide vivid depictions of feelings and emotions that are created by what Morgan sees, feels and experiences in his own life. As China rapidly modernizes, the pressure on individuals to adapt to a changing environment has resulted in people either selectively shielding themselves from the changes, or giving in. Morgan brings to life ordinary concerns as individuals try to comprehend and reconstruct the roles amid the confusion of city life. Morgan's works depict common people: Women, men and children, yet the artist gives them no background or story. He has purposefully deleted it, leaving only the symbol of the character, and his/her encounter with life. The figures appear to be floating in calm water, which possibly hints at the ideology of an ambiguous environment many people find themselves in. There are no clear definitions for some, and his works express this with intensity. The figures all appear calm, quiet and accepting of their situation. Only the children's eyes are wide open and marked with an innocent astonishment. Morgan says, "I want the children to appear surprised or startled. Children are pure and untainted, removed from troubles, but once they grow up and go out into society they encounter new experiences which change them more and more. Morgan has recently begun painting in monochrome colors, completing each work in its own shades of gray, orange, red, blue or yellow. Simple, yet bold, is the use of color marking this series with confidence and control. Recurrent from his last series, the figures still drift in water, but now they almost blend in with it. Morgan plays with the hues of colors, painting the figures in varying shades of the color of the surrounding water.