Rare blend of reality and fantasy

Artist Yu Hong, a professor at the Central Academy of Fine Arts, alludes to current-day problems in her pieces, giving them a contemporary feel in a dramatic new exhibition. Lin Qi reports.

Several years ago, artist Yu Hong came across an abandoned garden in a Beijing suburb. She walked through it and saw many nearly complete concrete pavilions built in traditional Chinese style and lotus blooming in a pool.

"It was a sunny day, and the blue sky and white clouds were reflected in the water. The flourishing lotus formed a sharp contrast with the pavilions that were in bad shape. The scene looked so beautiful," recalls the 50-year-old painter, who is also a professor at the Central Academy of Fine Arts.