Li Jin has experimented with ink painting over the past few decades. He has started to employ massive brushstrokes in his creations. His solo show, titled Being, in Beijing displays his latest ink paintings. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Wherever Chinese ink painter Li Jin goes－be it a museum or an awards ceremony－he carries a basket with him that contains items of daily use and subjects that his art focuses on.

"My basket has become a personal brand or logo of me. Without it, I'm not Li Jin," says the 58-year-old at Beijing's Ink Studio, where his latest show, Being, is underway.

The art professor at the Tianjin Academy of Fine Arts also takes the basket to the market to buy meat, vegetables, fish and shrimp.

For nearly 30 years, Li has carried the ink brushes he uses in his basket.

Earlier in life, his passion for food made him depend a lot on his basket. Later it inspired his paintings.

Li has gained recognition with shows held at galleries and museums in and outside China. His works sell for millions of yuan a piece at auctions.