Petals of a metaphor

Xu Jiang's new exhibition captures the power of sunflowers in literature and lore. The artist tells Xu Fan about his decadelong fascination with these blossoms.

More than 1,600 aluminum sculptures of sunflowers, as high as 6 meters, stand in a square near the entrance to the National Museum of China.

Almost every visitor is compelled to stop for a look at them. Some may even ask: Why are the plants not bright and blooming as they are usually seen in artistic works?