Shanghai artist Ma Liang strikes a blow for festive cheer

Blow painting may not be the most elegant artistic endeavour to witness, but it's the end result that matters, and artist Ma Liang has done a good job of adding a touch of spring to Admiralty's Pacific Place mall.

Ma, 64, who hails from Shanghai, was in Hong Kong last week to finish off a six-metre-long floral painting for the mall. His method involves applying paint to a surface and blowing it into the shape he wants to create. His new work was inspired by the 168 blossom-shaped windmills - symbolising good fortune and prosperity - that will decorate the mall for the Lunar New Year. The painting took him more than 20 hours.

The award-winning artist is also a veteran showman, and orchestrated a world record for the most people creating a blow painting simultaneously. His flower painting will be on display at Pacific Place's Park Court until February 24.