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Artist Shen Weifeng from Yangzhou in East China's Jiangsu Province often describes lotus flowers as the best media that can fully express his character, desires and feelings. Born in 1965, Shen began to take an interest in painting and calligraphy as a child. He later studied at the Jiangsu Traditional Chinese Painting Institute. Traditional Chinese painting worships nature. Mountains, rivers, animals, flowers and birds are the most common motifs of the art. For hundreds of years, generation after generation, Chinese artists have followed their predecessors and meticulously studied the realm of shanshui (mountains and rivers) and huaniao (flowers and birds), and the two became the best-known genres in traditional painting. It is said that the huaniao genre came into being earlier but matured later than the shanshui genre. Huaniao became an independent school of painting during the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907). The huaniao school of painting has since produced many noted artists, each known for his or her particular favorite flower or bird. Shen knows only too well how difficult it is to surpass his predecessors but he wants to challenge himself and has set his mind on the lotus flower. The lotus flower is extolled as having a noble character since it can remain clean while growing out of dirt. In the Chinese conscious, the lotus flower represents a person's integrity. Traditional Chinese painting has emphasized ink. Until the 1950s, colors were secondary. Well-known artist Qi Baishi (1863-1957) began to combine Western painting techniques with Chinese-style painting. He used black ink and colored paint to set each other off and form a pleasing contrast. In his own pursuit of traditional art, Shen gives his lotus flowers vibrant colors. Feeling that colors will add life to his painting, Shen enjoys putting deep bright hues into his creations. Critics have compared his work to pieces of orchestral music. Qi Gong, the best known calligrapher in China today, said that Shen's painting follows tradition, yet has his own creative contribution. Shen's works have been exhibited in France, Germany, Japan and the United States.