Tonight after dinner in town, Tseng Yu, two friends and I pay a visit to Huang Yun Yu. His studio is tiny – about 9’ x 7’ – and is cram full of paintings, on the walls, on the bed, on the floor, on the desk and on shelves. We drink hot, bitter tea out of painting jars while Yun Yu does a dry-point portrait of me on copper for his exhibition next month. It was nearly spoilt because we got into an argument about communism and Yun Yu became so excited he put my top lip in the wrong place. However, this was merrily restored and the plate steeped in a glass dish full of sulphuric acid. For the rest of the evening, Yun Yu stroked the mixture with a long feather while we were talking. It will be ready tomorrow and we shall see the result. YY says it is more naturalistic than the others he has done of me – nicer but not so ‘good’ artistically. It was 2 in the morning before I got home!
