Teaching the spirit of brushwork

Living and working in Beijing since the 1960s, Hangzhou and Zhejiang province have long held a special place in the heart of Zhang Lichen. Now 86, the artist and educator graduated from the China Academy of Art, where he studied under preeminent artists such as Pan Tianshou and Wu Fuzhi.

Like his mentors, Zhang has devoted his career to the inheritance of Chinese ink art. Since 2022, he has collaborated with Zhejiang People's Fine Arts Publishing House to publish three books on Chinese painting, the first one examining Pan's brushwork, the second on core theories and the third on the structural logic of ink strokes.

A book-sharing event was held on Tuesday at the Central Academy of Fine Arts, where Zhang once headed the ink art department.

In the books, he illuminates the cultural spirit embodied in brushwork, systematically presenting a theoretical framework shaped over decades. He also recalls classroom exchanges between teachers and students, paying tribute to figures whose influence continues to resonate.