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Flora and fauna motifs have a long history in Chinese decorative arts and textiles and appear frequently in artist and designer Guo Pei’s designs and reflect the influence of nature in the designer’s work. For her 2015 collection, Garden of Soul, Guo Pei cites the Chinese saying, “There is a kingdom in a flower; a wisdom in a leaf”, capturing how the spirit of nature and universal oneness can be found in small everyday details. She further explains, “I always find the power of nature fascinating, especially when the flowers are blossoming,” and draws comparisons between the human soul and gardens and their mutual need to be nurtured.
Last spring as the Museum Stores prepared to develop exclusive merchandise for the retrospective exhibition Guo Pei: Couture Fantasy at the Legion of Honor—now extended through November 27, the designer’s Garden of Soul collection stood out for it’s stunning details depicting flora and fauna motifs and designs in vibrant colors and hues.
Not only does the selling of books in our stores directly fulfill our mission to educate the public, they also document, represent, and communicate our institution’s collections and programming for the sake of our cultural patrimony. At the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, books greet our visitors at the front of each store location. The current exhibition catalogues, museum collection books, and best-selling titles displayed help to set the educational tone of our stores and announce to our customers, that books are important.
Every purchase in our stores directly support the collections and exhibitions of the de Young and Legion of Honor museums.