Recently, Ye Guoqiang, director of the Yelüye Art Museum in Heyuan, was named an "Advanced Individual in the National Publicity System". A defining motif in his work is the starfruit. His watercolor paintings Green Reports No. 10 and No. 18, both centered on the fruit, were selected for China's 13th and 14th National Exhibition of Fine Arts in 2019 and 2024 and exhibited in Beijing.
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Beyond his own practice, Ye has worked to build platforms, nurture young artists and strengthen the local art scene. He often uses starfruit in teaching, describing it as visually striking and structurally complex—ideal for training students' observation and form.
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In the Green Reports series, starfruits, newspapers, and everyday objects are arranged in a distinctive bird's-eye view. Critics say this detached perspective reflects the distance and fragmentation of contemporary life, where details are magnified while the larger picture is easily lost.
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Reflecting on his success, Ye says artists from smaller cities must find a path of their own. "Freshness comes from new ideas within familiar subjects," he notes.
On artificial intelligence, Ye calls it a useful tool but not a creator. "AI can combine data," he says, "but true art comes from personal experience, emotion, and original insight—things no machine can replace."
Reporter | Li Jiao, Huang Qini
Photo | Nanfang Plus
