Jiang's works use ordinary objects such as leftover tea leaves. [Photo provided to China Daily]

He also shares with his viewers the warm touches of these silent objects in his works, revealing that the objects are as free as we are and they have a wisdom of their own.

"I've never intended to do works that surprise viewers at first sight but lack an enduring charm as time goes by," he says.

"Our cultural traditions are still rooted in us and need to be passed down. The question is how to awaken them and translate them into a contemporary context."

If you go

10 am-6:30 pm, closed on Mondays, until Dec 4. Asian Art Center, 798 Art Zone, Chaoyang district, Beijing. 010-5978-9709.