Exhibition Details

• Date: December 7 – 31, 2016
• Location: Jao Tsung-I Academy of Arts
• Admission: Please check with the venue for details.

Exhibition Introduction

Chinese traditional flower arrangement art has a history spanning over 3,000 years and is the origin of Eastern floral art, with profound influence. To promote the essence of Chinese culture, the Cultural Affairs Bureau and Peihua Floral Art Training School co-present "Imitating Nature: The Art of Scholar Flower Arrangement Exhibition." The exhibition features numerous Chinese traditional floral artworks created in the "Scholar Flower Arrangement" style, displayed in the same space as Professor Jao Tsung-I's calligraphy and painting works, creating a harmonious interplay between flowers and art to showcase the unique charm of "Scholar Flower Arrangement."

Expressing Emotions Through Flowers: The Four Arts of the Scholar Life

Scholar Flower Arrangement stands alongside Imperial Court, Temple, and Folk flower arrangements as one of the four major representative styles of Chinese traditional floral art. The art of Scholar Flower Arrangement originated in the Northern and Southern Dynasties and flourished during the Tang and Song Dynasties. Flower arrangement developed rapidly in the Song Dynasty and, together with "Incense Appreciation," "Tea Tasting," and "Painting Display," was collectively known as the "Four Arts of Song Dynasty Literati Life." Scholars and refined individuals used painting, poetry, and flower arrangement to express their emotions and cultivate their spirit, leading to the popularity of Scholar Flower Arrangement.

Scholars and Flower Arrangement

Scholars refer to traditional Chinese intellectuals, especially writers and poets with a certain level of artistic cultivation. Scholar Flower Arrangement emphasizes the use of artistic techniques during creation to highlight personal moral integrity and cultural refinement. The Tang Dynasty painter Zhang Zao proposed the artistic theory of "Learning from Nature, Drawing from the Heart." Scholar Flower Arrangement similarly aims to achieve an artistic level of unity between nature and humanity.

The Style and Characteristics of Scholar Flower Arrangement

1. Inspired by Chinese literature, calligraphy, and painting, with an emphasis on poetic expression.
2. Focuses on the tasteful selection of floral materials, favoring those with elegant, twisting, or uniquely intriguing lines.
3. Prioritizes the quality over the quantity of floral materials, emphasizing their spirit.
4. Floral colors are primarily elegant and subdued; if colors are vibrant, small flowers are preferred.
5. Vases are the main containers, but plates can also be used.
6. Vessel shapes should be simple, unadorned, with elegant, warm, and smooth glazes.
7. Accessories are primarily simple and elegant objects, but can also include items like guqin (zither), chess, books, paintings, incense burners, and tea sets.