A child and deer, painted by Li Yansheng. [Photo provided to Chinaculture.org]

Figure painting - an expression of Chinese charm

Li never gives up the creation of figure painting while drawing deer. He has completed nearly a hundred portrait paintings of celebrities from China and abroad since 1995, using his special tool – a Chinese writing brush. The most effective way to paint a good portrait, Li says, is to paint a real person. He said that in recent years, he has mastered the skill of combining calligraphy with the figure’s spirit. Although imperfect, his paintings have always been pursuing an ideal art world of free creation and a realm of soul communication with the painting targets.

In the exhibition, the visitors had access to 30 authentic portraits of Master Xing Yun, Nan Huaijin, Bei Yuming, Xu Bangda, Bing Xin, Ba Jin and other celebrities.