Enchantment of flowers explored

The Qing Dynasty vase with "100 flowers" is on display in an exhibit called Flower Power at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco. Provided to China Daily

The power of flowers that inspired the love and peace of the Summer of Love movement in San Francisco 50 years ago actually goes back across the ages and cultures. Flowers have been used to communicate ideals for centuries in Asia.

Museum goers in San Francisco can experience the powerful language of flowers at an original exhibition of pan-Asian artwork titled Flower Power, at the San Francisco Asian Art Museum from June 23 to Oct 1.

Drawn primarily from the museum's collection, the exhibits include gilded folding screens, modern-looking lacquers, rare porcelains, rich textiles and contemporary installations of fresh flowers and multimedia displays, according to the museum.

"Flower Power offers a unique take on the spirit of the Summer of Love and its connections to Asian artistic practices, past and present," says museum director Jay Xu.

The exhibition also shows why artists return again and again to floral imagery to express themselves during times of social uncertainty and cultural change — a message he said was more relevant today than ever before.

Starting from the anti-materialist and pacifist spirit of the Summer of Love, the exhibition was organized following the philosophy behind an ancient Chinese proverb: "If you have two pennies, spend one on a loaf and one on a flower"— the bread will give you life and the flower a reason for living, said Dany Chan, the exhibit's curator.

The artworks are divided into different themes inviting visitors to explore the lasting appeal and stories behind six flowers.

The chrysanthemum gallery highlights a Chinese Qing Dynasty vase with "a hundred flowers" – each blossom rendered in perfect lifelike tones. The overall pattern represents health, longevity and the introspection and insightfulness from which lasting prosperity arises.

In the gallery of the lotus, a 13-foot-long Thai painting nearly 200 years old long depicts the spectacle of Buddha overcoming demonic forces, transforming weapons into tranquil lotus blossoms. The image echoes Beat poet Allen Ginsberg's coining of the expression "flower power" as a call to join peaceful anti-war demonstrations in the 1960s.

The gallery of the tulip and rose highlights an intriguing Ottoman-era dish that stylizes the esteemed tulips and roses of Western Asia. Such artworks help tell the story of cross-cultural pollination and the circulation of treasured bulbs and seeds across continents and empires — leading to moments like the fabled tulip mania bubble in 17th-century Holland.

In the gallery of plum and cherry blossoms, visitors can appreciate the lyrical scenes of courtly cherry blossom viewing from The Tale of Genji, often referred to as the world's first romance novel. The shimmering gold-leaf screens that deploy these short-lived flowers suggest the fragility of love.

The exhibition also includes installations by contemporary artists on themes of social engagement and protest, as well as recent digital artworks.

liazhu@chinadailyusa.com