Today| choose one thing for the rest of his life, he has painted a portrait of all things in nature all his life

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Zeng Xiaolian was born in June 1939 in Weixin County, Yunnan Province, China. He is currently a professor-level painter at the Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences. He is a member of the China Science Writers Association, a member of the Fine Arts Professional Committee, and a member of the China Yunnan Artists Association. He has been engaged in the illustration of scientific and technological books for a long time, and has published more than 2,000 illustrations.

His fine art works have participated in many national exhibitions and won many awards, and have been exhibited in the United States, Australia, Japan, Canada and other countries.

"I think the highest state of plant science painting is that you have to restore its life, standing in front of your picture, should project a vigorous vitality, I am not satisfied with my work, I hope we young people continue to walk on this road." 」

- Zeng Xiaolian

Plant science paintings are often referred to as "plant portraits" and "plant identity cards". It is like taking a standard photo of a plant with an ID card, which requires both an accurate reflection of the morphological characteristics of plants and organs and a strong artistry.

In 1958, Zeng Xiaolian graduated from high school and was recruited by the Kunming Institute of Botany of the Chinese Academy of Sciences as a trainee draftsman. For Zeng Xiaolian, who loved graffiti since childhood, he was happier to be able to work related to painting than to enter the university.

Today, a few years later, he is a professor-level painter at the Kunming Institute of Botany of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, a member of the China Association of Popular Science Writers, and the first person in Chinese plant painting.

Together with more than 300 plant taxonomists across the country and 164 illustrators who were able to participate in painting at that time, he spent 45 years compiling the world's largest and most diverse set of masterpieces, flora of China. The book consists of 80 volumes and 126 volumes, with more than 50 million words. Of these, the index alone amounts to 1155 pages. In October 2004, all the publications of Flora of China were completed. And this "45 years" only refers to the 45 years that lasted before and after the first publication began.

Since then, Zeng Xiaolian has successively created and published works with different themes and forms, such as "Hundred Flowers of Yunnan, China", "Painting Collection of Medicinal Plants", "Collection of Colored Ink Paintings of Zeng Xiaolian", etc. So far, he has created more than 2,000 lifelike plant science paintings for scientific research works, including Flora of China.

Today, the vast majority of plant painters in China have retired or changed careers, and less than ten people are engaged in painting plant science paintings full-time. At the age of 82, Zeng Xiaolian is still running around to promote this unpopular but indispensable profession.

"A stubborn boy who scribbles with his hands and enters the painting by chance, not only to sit on the cold bench, but also to climb the mountain, to have the position of not feeling life, to make up for his work with clumsiness, to practice the lawless method, to be at ease with the encounter, to do his best, to be plain and simple, and to enjoy himself."