By Wu Ziru

Lotus and Kingfisher by Li Kuchan

A collection of more than eighty pieces of artworks by Li Kuchan, one of the most celebrated Chinese art masters, is being held in Beijing Painting Institute, which has drawn a record number of visitors since its opening.

The exhibition is among a series of activities to mark the 110th birthday of Li, who lived from 1899 to 1983, according to Wang Mingming, the president of the academy.

“Most of the pieces were never shown publicly before,” said Tang Yongli, the dean of Chinese Painting Department under China Central Academy of Fine Arts, the co-organizer of the exhibition. “All these pieces are very precious and they give a rare glimpse of art from Li’s times,” he added.

Widely-known as a remarkable Chinese painter and calligrapher, Li used to study with Chinese art masters Xu Beihong and Qi Baishi, both of whom spoke highly of his achievement on art. He was even considered as “the best student” by Qi.

Specializing in flower-and-bird painting in Xieyi (freehand brushwork) style that captures the spirit of the subjects through expressive calligraphic brushwork and simplified forms, earned Li great reputation. Li was especially known for his depiction of birds of prey throughout his sixty-year career.

Also a famous art educator, Li worked as a professor in Beijing Art School in 1946, and since 1950 he was associated with the Central Academy of Fine Arts as Chinese painting professor.

He successfully combined techniques and spiritualities of the Western-style sculpture and painting into his Chinese painting teaching, which was a great contribution to the innovations in Chinese art education.

His representative works, including Orchid and Bamboo, Eagle’s Eyes Guarding China and Ink Lotus, are being displayed in this academy.

“This is the third leg of the national tour exhibition of Li,” said Wang. Late last year, the exhibition was held in Shenyang and Hangzhou and warmly welcomed by people in both places.