Artwork Description

Title: Flowers
Artist: Mo Xiong
Date: n.d.
Medium: Ink and watercolor on paper
Dimensions: 30.7 x 42.9 in (78 x 109 cm)

1. Artwork Identification
This striking composition, Title:d Flowers, is another luminous example of Mo Xiong’s poetic command of ink and watercolor on paper. The artwork presents an exuberant bouquet in full bloom, arranged across three vases rendered with transparency and depth. With vivid hues of orange, violet, yellow, and green interspersed with rhythmic, calligraphic lines and dynamic splatter effects, Xiong transforms the still life genre into an immersive visual celebration of life and movement.

2. Artistic Style and Influences
Mo Xiong’s artistic language blends traditional Chinese painting ethos with Western impressionistic vigor. In Flowers, this synthesis is evident in the energetic handling of pigment, the layering of chromatic accents, and the lyrical composition. Echoing both the spirit of Chinese literati painting and the free-form vitality of mid-20th-century watercolorists, Xiong creates a style that is at once personal and transnational, bridging cultural aesthetics with graceful ease.

3. Historical Context
Emerging from the post-Cultural Revolution generation of Chinese artists, Mo Xiong represents a wave of creators who sought to reconcile China’s artistic legacy with global artistic movements. Educated at Nanjing University of the Arts during the 1980s—a pivotal era for Chinese contemporary art—Xiong’s works embody a reawakening of individual expression and international engagement. His still lifes, far from being mere depictions, are reflections of a modern Chinese sensibility rooted in openness and renewal.

4. Provenance
Provenance documentation can be provided upon contact.

5. Condition and Conservation
This work is in very good condition. The surface of the paper remains stable and unblemished, with no visible signs of damage, warping, or discoloration. The pigment retains its original brightness. No conservation treatment is required at present.

6. Artistic Significance
Mo Xiong’s role as a Member of the China Artists Association and a Distinguished Teacher at Nanjing University of the Arts underlines his dual impact as both practitioner and mentor. His still lifes, such as this one, are prized for their emotive color harmonies and expressive brushwork. Flowers exemplifies his ability to reimagine classical subjects through a distinctly contemporary lens. With institutional recognition and elite collectors among his admirers, Xiong’s work stands as a testament to the evolving dialogue between Chinese heritage and global art currents.