Artwork Description

Title: Flowers and Birds
Artist: Mo Xiong
Date: n.d.
Medium: Ink and watercolor on canvas
Dimensions: 18.9 x 70.9 in (48 × 180 cm)

1. Artwork Identification
This vertically expansive work, Flowers and Birds by Mo Xiong, bursts with a dazzling harmony of form and color. The composition ascends in a dramatic crescendo from dense thickets of flowering branches to an effusion of blossoms and darting birds. The luminous orange and yellow backdrop bathes the canvas in warmth, while the bottom of the composition is anchored by cool gray textures reminiscent of rock or mist, lending the piece visual balance and conceptual grounding.

2. Artistic Style and Influences
Executed with a masterful blend of Chinese brushwork and Western gestural painting, this work highlights Mo Xiong’s command of stylistic fusion. The artist utilizes spontaneous ink lines and pigment splatter alongside carefully rendered birds and floral motifs, creating a visual tension between chaos and control. The vertical format suggests a scroll-painting heritage, yet the vivid chromatics and layered depth evoke Western abstract expressionism.

3. Historical Context
In post-Mao China, artists like Mo Xiong emerged with a new vocabulary that reinterpreted classical Chinese themes through a contemporary lens. This work reflects that ethos—nature is not merely recorded but reimagined through a dynamic intermingling of tradition and innovation. The theme of “flowers and birds” remains deeply symbolic, traditionally representing prosperity, joy, and seasonal transformation.

4. Provenance
Provenance documentation can be provided upon contact.

5. Condition and Conservation
The artwork is in very good condition, with no visible losses or surface disruption. The color integrity is well-preserved, and the canvas structure is stable and professionally stretched.

6. Artistic Significance
This large-scale work is a testament to Mo Xiong’s ability to transcend boundaries—between East and West, discipline and spontaneity, structure and energy. The radiant palette and vertical dynamism give the work a monumentality rarely achieved in this genre. Flowers and Birds is more than a botanical meditation; it is a bold affirmation of cultural convergence and artistic freedom.