Finding a Spiritual Oasis in the City: Hu Yaqiang's 'Hundred Herb Garden'

Credit: Ti Gong

Caption: "A Blade of Grass, A Spirit: Emotion and Origin of Hu Yaqiang's 'Hundred Herb Garden' Series" features the latest works by Hu Yaqiang.

Credit: Ti Gong

Caption: Some of the works on display

An exhibition exploring the resilience of nature and Eastern humanistic philosophy through contemporary oil paintings has opened at Shanghai Longhua Meet.

"A Blade of Grass, A Spirit: Emotion and Origin of Hu Yaqiang's 'Hundred Herb Garden' Series" features the latest works by Hu Yaqiang, an award-winning artist and professor at the Shanghai Normal University Fine Arts College.

Curated by veteran art expert Ma Xiaoyan, the show highlights Hu's ability to seamlessly blend Eastern and Western artistic traditions.

The artist boldly combines oil paint, acrylic, and pencil with techniques inspired by traditional Chinese painting and printmaking. By repeatedly layering and grinding pigments, he creates a weathered, mottled texture on the canvas that reflects the passage of time.

In Hu's works, ordinary plants are not just objects of observation, but living subjects with independent character. His art exists in the space between "likeness and unlikeness," expressing the unique mystery and spirit of Eastern culture.

Organized by the Shi Yuzhou Art Center and co-organized by Luoshantang, the exhibition offers a rare spiritual retreat in the fast-paced city. It invites visitors to step into a living canvas to reconnect with nature, feel the tenacious, "wildfire-resistant" energy of life, and find a sense of inner peace.