Artwork Description

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

1. Artwork Identification
Deep in the Flower Four continues Lv Jiang’s captivating fan series with a boldly stylized reclining nude figure in tones of luminous yellow, set against a whimsical field of swirling blues, tropical fruit, and hibiscus blooms. Executed in ink and watercolour on paper, this fan-shaped composition pulses with sensuality and surreal energy, blending figurative softness with exotic visual ornamentation.

2. Artistic Style and Influences
Lv Jiang employs a hybrid visual vocabulary that merges gongbi linework with a pop-art sensibility, resulting in imagery that is both playful and provocative. The color palette—electric lemon yellows, seafoam greens, and oceanic blues—echoes the synthetic hues of anime and 1970s psychedelia. The figure’s curvilinear pose and abstracted environment recall both ukiyo-e aesthetics and feminist figuration in global contemporary art. The result is a visual world that is at once deeply personal and culturally expansive.

3. Historical Context
Painted in 2021, Deep in the Flower Four is the culmination of Lv Jiang’s innovative reinterpretation of the traditional Chinese fan painting. Born in Nanjing in 1975 and trained at prestigious institutions including Suzhou University and Nanjing Art College, Lv Jiang belongs to a generation of artists who challenge the dichotomy between heritage and experimentation. As both a professor and active cultural figure, he redefines what ink painting can express—especially in terms of identity, sensuality, and artistic freedom.

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 stable, with no visible creases, tears, or discoloration. The pigments remain vibrant and intact, with no evidence of smudging or restoration. The fan-shaped format retains its elegant curvature and display quality.

6. Artistic Significance
Deep in the Flower Four is a visually electrifying and thematically rich work that cements Lv Jiang’s place within the vanguard of contemporary Chinese ink art. Its fearless celebration of the body, nature, and color challenges traditional fan painting conventions while honoring the material legacy of the medium. Whether acquired individually or alongside others in the series, this work offers collectors an iconic expression of artistic hybridity, cultural nuance, and unapologetic beauty.