Artists showcase power of flowers in Shanghai

Artworks themed around flowers by 25 contemporary artists across the world are on display at the Pearl Art Museum in Shanghai.

Titled In the Name of Flower, the exhibition showcases more than 150 artworks in various forms such as painting, photography and sculpture. It will end on Dec 6.

"It's a unique way for people to explore topics such as art, life and death," Li Dandan, curator of the exhibition and the director of the museum, said.

For example, the series of oil paintings by Chinese artist Yang Xun, such as Brocade Red, explores the power of life. Yang said his works were inspired by the dilemma he faced.

"I was confused and did not know how to achieve a breakthrough in my career after years of doing black and white painting," Yang said.

This predicament went on for five years until 2014 when he was motivated to add colors to his work after seeing the flowers in the courtyard of his Beijing residence.

Soon after, flowers such as magnolia and begonia became the subjects in his works.

"One element is never absent in the series - round light spots, which represent the origin of lives and the source of power," he added.

Other artworks on show include Untitled by artist Michael Lin from Chinese Taiwan, who is attempting to convey the message that art should not just be viewed but experienced and even felt through his installation which features pillows and wall paintings themed around flowers.