Story behind the art of Yan Ji

29th Annual International

American Society of Botanical Artists and the Society of Illustrators

Orange Wonder Freesia

Freesia hybrid

As someone who lives amidst the bustling streets and hubbub of Shanghai, I gather most of my floral material from fresh-cut supermarket flowers or those sold in floral shops. One afternoon, I walked into my local shop to purchase some flowers as usual, when a sweet fragrance suddenly caught my attention. The shopkeeper informed me that the scent was from a flower called freesia. Upon further research, I found out that it is native to South Africa and a popular ingredient in many perfumes and oils. The flower’s intriguing background, combined with its unique scent and structure, fascinated me.

At the time, I was faced with my eighth assignment from the Society of Botanical Artists Distance Learning Diploma Course: Botany Illustration. The task was to “produce a true botanical illustration with accurate depiction, to show a single species with foliage and some dissections”. It was the perfect opportunity for me to capture the freesia’s beauty on paper. I spent the following hours and days researching and examining this flower. I used freshly cut Freesias to examine their petals and leaf structure and bought them in pots to observe their root system. I learned that they grew from corms and then went to purchase dormant bulbs for hydroponic growth and study. 

I do not come from a background in botany or biology. As this was my first experience working with a flower in such detail, my time with freesia has been unforgettable. This period of study gave me a chance to truly understand the plant that I was drawing; though it is a common enough plant, because I was unfamiliar with it, each step of this exploration was full of surprises and new discoveries. I realized that a flower’s beauty lies not only on its surface, but also deep within - from the roots with bits of soil still clinging, the leaves traversed with flowing veins, to the stamens, pistil and ovary. Each part of the plant cannot survive without the other, and that I believe, is where the true sublimity of a flower lies. This painting gave me the chance to depict details of the flower that would usually go unacknowledged or unnoticed, and I hope that viewers will come to appreciate the wonders of nature as I do.

Persimmon Leaf

Diospyros kaki

In the winter of 2023, I found this imperfect leaf on a persimmon tree beside a small stream near our neighborhood. Many of the leaves had turned red and were covered in dark brown spots, the edges of which faded into yellow and green. I found the transition of color striking, and felt that it had a unique visual aesthetic.

This was during the turbulent period of the Coronavirus pandemic, a time of uncertainty and anxiety when people were resigned to feeling low and psychologically exhausted. Seeing leaves gradually turn red and drift away in the wind evokes a sense of melancholy in me, as I observe the changing of the seasons and its indifference towards life's impermanence.

This leaf is imperfect, being both sick and damaged. However, it mirrors the reality of life. Every wrinkle and spot on a leaf is unique, created by the passage of time, and cannot be recreated on another leaf. Life is much the same in that sense – few people can claim to have had a perfect experience. Only by accepting our own imperfections and finding beauty in them can we truly pay homage to life. The Coronavirus pandemic has brought varying degrees of hardship to the world, but throughout it all, people have persevered in their own unique ways. I decided to capture this in this beautifully imperfect leaf.

Diospyros kaki is a plant originating from China and is an important native fruit species with a cultivation history of over 2,000 years. The spots and holes on the leaves are caused by a common fungal infection that targets persimmon trees, primarily manifesting as rounded or angular spots. Perhaps due to this disease, persimmon fruits fall early. The persimmon leaf has a distinct midrib running down the center with lateral veins branching out on either side to create a dense network pattern that stands out even more in winter when the leaf shrinks and the color contrast is amplified. The leaf's surface is smooth with a leathery texture. Due to a lack of chlorophyll, some parts have turned red and lack the typical sheen of such leaves.

I wanted the different shades of red, green and yellow to form the centerpiece of my work. The empty spaces within these colors are formed by the network of leaf veins and the 'scarred', necrotic holes left in the leaf by the infection. I used masking fluid during the painting process to assist with the pinnate-reticulate venation.

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