Note: This artwork is not yet available for sale, but will be soon.

The Compendium of Materia Medica refers to a 16th-century compendium of medicinal herbs, compiled by Li Shizhen, a Ming Dynasty botanist and pharmacologist. According to the Yang Xun, "Peony was described in the Compendium of Materia Medica as an unambiguously beneficial herb. This medicinal aspect is overlooked because of its exquisite flower; but underneath the ostentatious petals is a staid and reliable character."

Yang’s Flowers series was inspired by Song dynasty flower paintings on round fans. With brilliant light and soft shadow, he uses his subjects to portray multisensory memories of attraction, hope, longing or despair.

A word from The Artist

In this series, the flowers bloom shamelessly and bring to mind the fleeting splendor of exploding fireworks. In the dramatic light that illuminates the center of flower, the stamens and pistils stand out with their imperfections. I aim to freeze the most glorious moments into an eternal instant, as if it is the last second before exquisite beauty withers and life itself bids farewell. The fleeting bloom of a flower is a reflection of the human spirit.