Exhibition Commemorates Ink Painting Pioneer Li Keran

Anybody with some knowledge of 20th century Chinese art has heard the name Li Keran. A bright star in the firmament of Chinese ink-on-paper painting, Li is both an icon and a legend.

But even for those who have long admired and idolized the man and who have pored over every painting, a commemorative exhibition still comes as a rare treat.

Li Keran (1907-1989)

Li Keran's brush remains powerful, a century after he was born and twenty years since the end of his life.

At the show's opening ceremony at the Beijing Fine Art Academy on June 1, Li's widow, Zou Peizhu, along with their daughter and two sons, made an announcement that they will donate one hundred and eight ink paintings, and thirty watercolors to the Beijing municipal government.