The artistic odyssey of a giant seen 'once in 500 years'

The most often quoted appraisal of Zhang Daqian, an artist at the summit of 20th-century Chinese art, is by another great modern artist Xu Beihong, who referred to him as "a person seen once in 500 years".

Zhang spent his life traveling from his native Sichuan province to different places around the world where he lived and work, displaying the beauty of Chinese ink art to people from different cultural backgrounds.

His technical brilliance, creativity and innovation evolved over time, from making copies of ancient paintings and learning from the murals and figurines in Dunhuang, Gansu province, to adopting the abstract pocai (splashing colors) style.

Where the Summit Stands Subdued, an exhibition ongoing at the Cuppar Space in Beijing, follows Zhang's artistic odyssey in Asia, Europe, and the Americas — where his brushwork gave shape to China's rich cultural tradition.