Twenty-nine-year-old Li Yifan on October 14 opened his plant specimen exhibition in Beijing. Li lives in his home province of Yunnan, southwest China, where he grew up as an animal and plant lover. At the age of 17, he was given a private garden with more than 400 plants.
His enthusiasm for plants led him to study at Southwest Forestry University, where he majored in plant taxonomy. As a student, he became a frequent visitor to forests in Yunnan and learned how to hand-draw plants as well as create plant specimens. Plant specimens can be kept alive, but are more commonly dried and pressed to preserve their quality.
Following graduation, Li opened his own studio and dedicated himself to plant-related activities, including
gardening and collecting plants in the mountains to make specimens. He began by framing the specimens and giving them to friends. As time went by, his botanical artworks attracted more attention on social media.
It was then that Li decided to start selling these creations.
In addition to the more common and regular pieces, he also makes custom pieces for clients. The creator often spends weeks, or even months, collecting plants and then designing and making specimens.
With his exhibition, which runs until the end of October, Li hopes to give city dwellers a true sense of Mother Nature's beauty.
(Text and photos by Wei Yao)
