Artist's strokes magnify the nuances of life and the world

From the watercolors he painted at 15, to the lengthy oil triptychs that brought him acclaim, Liu Xiaodong has for decades been recognized as one of the country's foremost realist painters.

His masterful strokes demonstrate not only his accumulated understanding of painting as a long-lasting medium of artistic expression, but also his insight into the lives and mindsets of the people, offering a window into China's history and traditions.

Liu Xiaodong: The River Divides, the World Connects, his solo exhibition running at the Taikang Art Museum until March 31, investigates time and space as two defining dimensions of his artistic vision. It brings together more than 70 major works from the late 1970s to the present day, tracing his transformations and breakthroughs along the way.

Liu's sustained focus on the people around him, as well as his observations of the nuances of daily life, and his integration of film and photography across multiple media, have enriched the meaning of realism.