Chong Liu’s series The Flower of War (2024) is an outstanding digital series of artworks which explore the horrendous conditions of war and the journey that the girl goes through and perseveres to have hope and resilience.

The first artwork in the series, “The Flower of War”, juxtaposes (as with the other two artworks in the series) innocence against the horrific reality of conflict, thus showcasing resilience in the face of adversity. In the first work, the girl is moving and does not seem to be discouraged by the chaos and disorientation that is happening in the background.
The background of the work showcases burning ruins, destroyed buildings and figures being murdered or attempting to escape the horrors. Hence serving as a reminder of war being traumatic and horrendous. The background is an active force interacting with the girl as they seem to encroach upon the girl and the pony, which suggests that the girl is vulnerable to war and that their existence is under constant threat of conflict.
The figures in the background look as though their faces have been reduced (though not fully faceless), rendering them in a somewhat ghostly form. Therefore, it can be asserted that this may be alluding to the emotional numbness that war brings in that it doesn’t discriminate and kills, eroding the victim’s personal identities in the ensuing destruction.
Despite all the chaos and destruction around her, the young girl smiles, which hints at human survival and bravery in times of conflict. Thus, it represents an enduring spirit that will refuse to be put down by all the negativity from the surrounding war.

The second artwork in the series shows the girl and the pony sleeping in what seems to be a moving cart. The girl, however, is still smiling and finding comfort in the pony. The colour palette is a lot more muted than the first artwork, too, suggesting a more peaceful moment in a time of conflict, giving a break from the chaos.
The smile could represent contentment in the moment without being around violence. However, at the top of the artwork and to the left side, vultures are hanging over the two. This helps to give some tension to the scene, as vultures often symbolise death, decay and rebirth. Therefore, we can discern that despite a much calmer moment, there is always death on the watch during war and never far away from those who live in such conflict. This is confirmed in the next artwork in the series as the vultures continue to loom over the more violent scene.
Moving onto the objects in the scene, the cart itself and the straw bed created inside of it seem makeshift and imply that the girl is displaced from her home or land. Hence, they reflect the desperation that she is facing as she has been forced to find refuge during the conflict. Despite straw not being the most comfortable material to sleep on, they are making the most of what they have during times of need.

The last artwork in the series shows the girl covering her face to block out the traumatic war scene behind her. What is most noticeable in the image is that the pony is, too, covering its face with the dead tree. By cowering its face at death, it shows its vulnerability and the emotional trauma it has endured. Both characters are trying to block out the destruction and death.
The background of the artwork is dominated by chaos- consumed by flame and smoke. This showcases the destruction and serves as a metaphor for the irreversible impact of conflict. There are bodies on the ground, and yet a slumped person on the tree stump seems somewhat alive yet is too exhausted to survive. The victims do not wear any military uniform and are most likely not engaging in the war, yet are the casualties of something they may not have caused. Consequently, this explores the disconnect between survivors (mostly civilians) and the conflict that catches them in chaos.
Yet, the artwork features vultures (also visible in the previous artwork), which we explored as symbolisms of death, decay, and rebirth. The vultures loom over the scene as though they are metaphors for the loss of innocence, as the girl’s attempt to shield herself from the conflict is always undercut by the constant presence and emergence of death. This creates a contrast between the desperation to hide away from the horror and the vultures following them, showcasing that one cannot escape the horror during the war.
Overall, the “The Flower of War” series by Chong Liu follows the young girl and her pony through traumatic scenes, then briefly comforts them and returns to the awful destruction of war. It has successfully achieved the effect of highlighting the sorrows of war and that there can be resilience and bravery during adversity in these situations. Having the girl travel with her pony shows that through the darkest times, one can help themselves escape the worst of war by persevering to survive and to have hope.