Commemorative event

The exhibition is one of a series of events organized by Wu's academy to mark the 160th anniversary of Qi's birth this year.

The Beijing Fine Art Academy was founded in May 1957, four months before Qi's death. The artist was named the first — and so far the only — honorable director of the academy, and donated his works and collections to it.

Wu says he hopes the exhibition will add new dimensions to people's understanding of Qi and his art. "He was quite interesting. These works are the documents that preserve his true feelings. They capture the moments when he felt inspiration erupting, wrote casually or considered how to paint."

In the past year, the academy toured Qi's works at home and also abroad to Germany, Sweden and other countries in Europe "to show people the touching world of animated lives that Qi created", Wu says, adding that they will tour the United States this year.

"We hope that by promoting the art and research of Qi, we are also able to draw more attention to the special meanings and important values of Chinese painting in the world cultural scene."