Whereof our mortal eyes, in their fullest brightness, Are no more than tarnished, mournful mirrors!

—— “The Flower of Evil”, Charles Baudelaire

Flowers are the life spring of plants; they represent hopes and new lives. And for Luo Fahui, flowers are the metaphor for sex and desire.  Once the perception of flowers has been reshaped, flowers are not just flowers; it is the transformation of desire.  Luo Fahui has been exploring the relationships amongst human, material and yearning since his early days.  He uses flowers as a metaphor for the human desire.  Metamorphosis means variant and a morphological change; in the artist’s works, flowers are used as symbolism of human state and longing.

In the series of the work “Rose”, the sumptuous composition, unique painting style and skillful techniques make the pictures full of imagination and visual tension; and these works also reveal hidden messages behind the surface.  The close-ups of flowers make the grey-color toned more vivid and lively.  By observing the blossom and withering process of the short life span of flowers, the artist found the distress of pursuing materialization and human desires.  The suppressed desire and the bitterness and melancholy of discontent are the feelings that the Baudelaire wanted to express when he wrote “The Flower of Evil”.  And with this subtle, yet strong pursue created the work that is uniquely his.