Serbian artist: The world in a leaf

Peace of Nature by Mirjana Mit. Stojkovic [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

"In some of her paintings, organic forms of leaves are deconstructed, almost dematerialized, reduced to a mere play of shades and nuances of colors" said Rasko Radovic, who also helped to arrange the show. "And what fascinates in these more abstract works is how the undulations of transparent volumes are conjured from subtle variations of the color hue.

Her work gained immediate popularity among Chinese collectors. According to Wang Tao, co-curator of the exhibition, 10 paintings were sold within just three days of the show’s May 14 opening.

"Her work is full of passion for the power of nature and it shows the essence of life," Wang said. She stressed that it's more about what lies behind those physical images- her thoughts, ideas and emotions- that touches people's hearts.

"We see a very sophisticated artist through her work," Wang added.

Stojkovic's works have been collected around world by museums, celebrities and royal families. She was the first prize winner for painting in Serbia in 1974, 1977, and 1983 and has had more than 50 solo exhibitions since 1973 in many countries, such as China, Serbia, Canada, Slovenia, Croatia and Bosnia. She’s also taken part in more than 140 group exhibitions all over the world.