Artwork Description

Title: Deep in the Flower Three
Artist: Lv Jiang
Date: 2021
Medium: Ink and watercolor on paper
Dimensions: 8.3 x 23.6 in (21 x 60 cm)

1. Artwork Identification
Deep in the Flower Three is the third installment in Lv Jiang’s visually charged fan series, created in 2021 using ink and watercolor on paper. The fan-shaped composition centers on a reclining female figure, immersed in a field of vivid lilies and sunflowers. The woman’s bold makeup, patterned stockings, and dreamlike posture unfold against a riotous background of magenta, crimson, and canary yellow, producing a dynamic interplay of color, form, and texture.

2. Artistic Style and Influences
Lv Jiang continues to push the boundaries of traditional Chinese fan painting by combining figurative intimacy with contemporary aesthetics. The composition features gongbi-inspired contouring alongside pop-art influences, with hints of psychedelic surrealism. The exaggerated color palette and pattern-dense background suggest affinities with both Japanese pop culture and Western feminist figuration, while remaining rooted in ink painting’s material discipline.

3. Historical Context
Born in 1975 in Nanjing and trained at both Nanjing Art College and Suzhou University, Lv Jiang represents a generation of Chinese artists who have redefined classical artistic forms through the lens of personal and cultural identity. His Deep in the Flower series challenges the gendered symbolism of traditional bird-and-flower painting by foregrounding the female figure as both subject and agent of aesthetic experience. The fan format, historically reserved for poetic landscapes, is subverted to host scenes of intimate, unapologetic sensuality.

4. Provenance
Provenance documentation can be provided upon contact.

5. Condition and Conservation
The artwork is in very good condition. The paper is clean and unblemished, with no signs of damage, discoloration, or restoration. The ink and watercolor pigments remain brilliantly saturated. The surface is stable and well preserved.

6. Artistic Significance
Deep in the Flower Three asserts the female gaze and erotic agency within a culturally hybridized art form. With its bold figuration and floral exuberance, the work reflects the evolving landscape of Chinese contemporary art, where identity, ornamentation, and desire intersect. As a standalone piece or as part of the Deep in the Flower series, this painting is a statement work—unafraid, celebratory, and visually magnetic.