Artists show their various skills

A consummate artist, according to a Chinese saying, is well-versed in painting, calligraphy, poetry and seal engraving. The elite of classic Chinese painting are often fine engravers and seal designers, such as Wu Changshuo, Qi Baishi and Zhang Daqian. Even in a digital age when handwriting has become much less used, a group of people and artists still stick to this tradition of having their own engraved seals.

Jinghua Seal Engraving Society is holding the second installment of their Seal Engraving Art Biennial at the capital's Haidian Art Museum to show the latest developments in this unique niche of classical art, and meanwhile celebrating the 75th anniversary of the People's Republic of China.

It gathers works of eminent and younger-generation engravers and ink artists who, also at a forum after the opening of the event, discussed the status quo and future of the form, sharing views on how it can be better integrated into the modern cultural landscape and people's life.