Artwork Description

Title: Flowers and Birds – Four Screens
Artist: Mo Xiong
Date: n.d.
Medium: Ink and watercolor on paper
Dimensions: Each panel 53.5 x 13 in (136 x 33 cm); 4 panels total

1. Artwork Identification
This dramatic four-panel suite by Mo Xiong, Title:d Flowers and Birds – Four Screens, bursts with chromatic intensity and symbolic richness. Each vertical scroll features an ornate porcelain vase overflowing with lush botanicals, blossoms, and avian life. Bold background colors—ranging from golden ochre and terra cotta to cobalt blue and deep rust—heighten the theatrical energy of each composition. Decorative birds perch amid saturated flora, while gestural ink lines and paint splatters energize the surface, resulting in a radiant fusion of color, texture, and symbolic narrative.

2. Artistic Style and Influences
This quartet exemplifies Mo Xiong’s boldest stylistic tendencies: a deliberate interplay between traditional Chinese ink painting and Western-inspired expressionist aesthetics. The ornamental vases and floral compositions evoke the legacy of Song dynasty bird-and-flower painting (花鸟画), yet the electric palette and explosive mark-making draw parallels with postmodern abstraction and Fauvism. Mo’s confident integration of classical motifs with modern flair is on full display, making this series a powerful testament to his visual versatility.

3. Historical Context
Created within the contemporary context of post-reform China, this four-panel work reflects a cultural climate of creative reawakening. Mo Xiong belongs to a pioneering generation that reconciled China’s heritage with global artistic influences. The vibrancy and iconography of this work signal a reclaiming of traditional art forms while reflecting the freedom of self-expression made possible by China’s shifting artistic policies in the late 20th century. This work is both culturally referential and provocatively contemporary.

4. Provenance
Provenance documentation can be provided upon contact.

5. Condition and Conservation
The work is in very good condition. All four panels retain crisp color saturation and structural stability. The paper is free from warping, discoloration, or visible tears. There is no evidence of restoration or prior conservation; no treatment is currently required.

6. Artistic Significance
This vibrant screen composition reflects Mo Xiong’s mastery of both traditional and avant-garde visual languages. As a recognized Member of the China Artists Association and an influential educator at Nanjing University of the Arts, Mo has shaped the development of contemporary Chinese aesthetics. Flowers and Birds – Four Screens exemplifies his profound ability to navigate historical tradition and modern technique—placing him at the forefront of 21st-century East Asian painting.