Artwork Description

Mo Xiong
Flowers, n.d.
ink and watercolour on paper
25.6 x 15.4 in. (65 x 39 cm)

This vibrant composition presents a lush bouquet of orange blossoms emerging from a dark, delicately patterned vase, set against a mottled ground of green and ochre. The floral forms are rendered in bold, saturated hues, their contours broken by expressive splashes and gestural brushmarks that infuse the surface with kinetic energy. The result is a still life that feels continuously in motion, animated by chromatic vibration and painterly immediacy.

The artist’s technique merges Chinese ink sensibilities with Western expressionist handling of colour and form. Layered pigment applications and spontaneous mark-making introduce a dynamic tension between control and accident, while the underlying compositional structure maintains clarity and balance.

The work draws upon the longstanding symbolic significance of floral imagery in Chinese visual culture, where blossoms are associated with vitality, seasonal renewal, and moral refinement. Here, these associations are reinterpreted through a contemporary visual language that emphasises intensity and material presence.

The work is in very good condition, with strong pigment retention and a stable paper support. Provenance: documentation can be provided upon request.