Flavors are said to have a strong connection to a person's memory and familiar tastes or smells can resurface previously lost memories. In a wonderful exhibition recently held in Xiamen, Fujian province, young Chinese painters displayed artworks inspired by the sense of taste from Jan 21 to Feb 5.

The touring exhibition was part of the seventh cross-Straits youth art show that was launched in May 2016. Previously, the exhibition has displayed in Taiwan's Tainan and Taipei, as well as Beijing, and Fuzhou in Fujian province.

More than 300 young painters' works made up the exhibition at Xiamen's art museum in the Siming district. The artists were from all over the country including Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao. The works were well received by adults and children alike with many local artists feeling inspired by the fresh and innovative paintings on display.

The Flavor of the Happiness of Mantises by nine-year-old Zhang Yunci from Taiwan province. [Photo/xmnn.cn]

However rudimentary some of the efforts might look, the interesting visual narratives of memorable tastes serve to reveal the unique interpretation of life so often held in young minds: red is the sweetness of candied hawthorns, grey is grandmother’s firewood stove, and trains come to be formed by donuts and oranges. Additionally, many works reflected upon childhood family memories for inspiration.

A Bite of the Moon by Zhang Yidan, 13, from Shenzhen in Guangdong province. [Photo/xmnn.cn]

The exhibition attached special importance to China's rich ethnic culture by including art pieces by young Tibetan and Bai artists. The organizer also invited 16 children from the Taiwan city of Kaohsiung to show the ceramic tiles they created, which illustrate Taiwan's rich ethnic traditions and natural scenery.