7 February — 1 May
Holy Grail Plants
CG.10
Free
The Abbotsford Convent has always been a hotspot for the arts in Melbourne after it rapidly became Australia’s largest arts and cultural precinct.
Since the grand buildings and gardens were converted to the arts complex, in recent years it has also become a hot destination for the local Chinese community and visitors from China. As co-owner of Holy Grail Plants, Mao Xu catered for the finer cultural tastes in Tea, Art, Plants and Ceramics. “The Chinese diaspora have always seemed to love the place, they have their weddings here, reading groups, social occasions and various interesting events here throughout the year” says Xu.
Chengrong Zhu grew up in Dianjiang, where her father and uncle were traditional timber craftsmen. These styles deeply impressed her, “As a child, I loved the carved lotus patterns on their wooden beds, and I even copied them myself.”
Growing up she worked as a teacher, travelling China extensively, she was influenced by the famous Chinese painters, such as Qi Baishi, Xu Beihong, and Zhang Daqian. Upon retiring from teaching she returned to University to study painting (Traditional Chinese Painting specifically) for several years. During this time her works were celebrated and published in the Journal of the Mianyang Poetry, Calligraphy and Painting Academy.
Meet the artist in a special opening event, held amongst a sea of exotic plants.
Saturday 7 February
6pm — 8pm
RSVP
