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
Mo Xiong’s Flowers is a lyrical still life composed in ink and watercolor on paper, centered around a vivid turquoise vase bursting with a radiant bouquet. The floral arrangement glows with a soft palette of ochre, pale orange, mint green, and delicate white blooms, their fluid forms heightened by spontaneous ink splatters and diffused tonal transitions. A small white plate of purple grapes adds a quiet counterpoint to the composition, offering a serene moment of stillness amid the exuberant floral display.

2. Artistic Style and Influences
This painting embodies Mo Xiong’s celebrated fusion of traditional Chinese brush painting techniques with modern Western watercolor aesthetics. The use of controlled splatter, layered washes, and calligraphic detailing reflects both literati spontaneity and the impressionistic sensibilities of 20th-century European painters. The minimalist background and negative space further emphasize the composition’s luminosity, enhancing the visual impact of its floral crescendo.

3. Historical Context
Mo Xiong belongs to a pivotal generation of Chinese artists who came of age during the country’s cultural reawakening in the 1980s. His training at Nanjing University of the Arts allowed him to engage deeply with both classical Chinese artistic values and the global art trends entering China during that transformative period. Flowers mirrors this historic dialogue—simultaneously reverent and experimental, rooted in heritage yet informed by a broader contemporary perspective.

4. Provenance
Provenance documentation can be provided upon contact.

5. Condition and Conservation
This work is in very good condition. The paper is clean and unwarped, with no signs of damage or deterioration. Pigments are bright and well-preserved, and the surface is free from abrasions, foxing, or moisture staining. No conservation treatment is necessary.

6. Artistic Significance
Mo Xiong’s contributions to modern Chinese art, both as a practitioner and educator, are widely acknowledged. His unique aesthetic—harmonizing expressive freedom with technical control—has resonated with institutions, collectors, and emerging artists alike. Flowers is a quintessential example of his painterly vocabulary: refined, contemplative, and joyfully alive. It offers not just a visual delight but a profound reflection on cultural synthesis and the evolving spirit of Chinese contemporary painting.