ABOUT THE ARTIST

Louise Jones (née Chen), aka Ouizi, was born and raised in Santa Monica, CA to Shanghainese parents. She is best known for her large-scale floral mural installations which can be seen in public spaces throughout the United States, from museums to public parks. The murals often depict site-specific plants and animals, and the techniques are uniquely informed by her education in drawing and printmaking. Her affinity towards botanical subjects continues to grow, stemming from an early introduction to Georgia O’Keeffe and fond memories of picking figs with her grandmother. She currently lives and works in Detroit.

ABOUT THE MURAL

“This mural is based on a visit to the Nichols Arboretum and Matthaei Botanical Gardens this summer where I saw these flowers blooming. The term ‘drifts’ refers to the method in garden design of imitating the natural growth habits of plants by planting single varieties in large swaths, making it appear as though they have propagated naturally, either by self-seeding or with the help of critters. Featured are Echinacea or coneflower, and Rudbeckia hirta. This is one of my favorite murals to date, I just love how immersive it feels as if you (the viewer) are a small bug in the grass. I usually paint many more varieties of flowers in one mural, but for this one, I only chose two and just repeated them over and over again.” says Ouizi