China's prolific botany painter holds exhibition to present real beauty of nature

Kunming City, capital of southwest China's Yunnan Province, is hosting an exhibition of works by one of the country's most prolific botany painters, with various paintings of flowers and birds on display, aiming to present the real beauty of nature.

The painting exhibition comes at a special time when the natural history painter Zeng Xiaolian's home city hosted the UN biodiversity conference earlier this month, which highlighted the urgency of better protecting nature.

"It's such beautiful art, but all of it is completely rooted in science. And there are stories behind each of the artwork, especially about the great biodiversity of Yunnan. So we thought it was a great opportunity for learning and for engagement with the public," said Jeff Crosby, deputy director of Contemporary Gallery Kunming.

The 83-year-old artist, who has dedicated his life to depicting flora and fauna, started his career as a natural history illustrator at the Chinese Academy of Sciences. He participated in the compilation of the Flora of China. The publication is composed of 126 volumes, and records more than 30,000 species of plants.

"I've been in a good mood over the past two years, although I almost didn't get even one day off. I've got some health problems, but I don't feel sick when I paint and can work for about nine hours a day on average," said Zeng.

After retirement, he started to work on the artistic aspect of his creations and has kept honing his skills.

Zeng says it would be encouraging if his new creations can bring the audience a breath of nature.

Two years ago, Zeng was diagnosed with lung cancer. But he says he won't lay down his brushes.

"I hope I will be blessed with five more years, so that I can accomplish my long-cherished wishes. My next plan is to paint something about ecology, which is the relationship between different species and the environment. Such creations will be more magnificent," said Zeng.

Zeng doesn't take any drugs for cancer, because he believes they make his hands tremble. He says creating more works with both scientific and artistic values is what really matters to him.