The enigma of ink

The exhibition shows how the four featured painters championed the style not only for artistic creativity, but also because it allowed them to embed their personas, individuality and world views in every stroke.

Wu says the exhibition is "a key", "an invisible hand", to open the studios of the four men to visitors.

The first stop of this journey through centuries takes people into the mind of Xu Wei. Hailed as a child prodigy for his skill in painting and poetry, Xu, however, led a turbulent life, falling victim to the political darkness of the mid-to-late stages of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).Although viewed as unhinged by some, Xu created, with unbounded strokes, a vigorous world, especially through his depiction of plants and flowers.