A promise in ink

Held in high esteem

The deep bond between Feng and Li reflects the commitment of intellectuals, as well as the mutual trust and spiritual inheritance between teachers and students. These values are also central to the Chinese cultural tradition.

After Feng enrolled at No 1 Normal School of Zhejiang Province (now Hangzhou Normal University), Li, who had also studied Western fine arts, became his teacher of painting and music.

Li, a reputed artist, calligrapher and musician, later converted to Buddhism and became known as Master Hongyi.

Li imparted to Feng the principle that "one should first cultivate his character and acquire knowledge, before pursuing literature and art". Feng held his teacher in high esteem and followed the principle throughout his life.

The two conceived the idea of the Husheng collection in the autumn of 1927, with Feng creating the paintings and Li composing the inscriptions. Two years later, the first volume, comprising 50 paintings, was published ahead of Li's 50th birthday.

In 1939, during the difficult years of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45), Feng took refuge in what is now the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region. The devastation he witnessed there profoundly deepened the impact of his work.

He managed to send the second volume, containing 60 paintings, to Master Hongyi, who was then in Quanzhou, Fujian province, to complete the inscriptions.

In his reply, the master expressed hope that Feng would continue the project by creating four more volumes, one in each subsequent decade. Sensing that he might not live to see the remaining works completed, he asked fellow intellectuals to help Feng with the inscriptions and publication.

Among the renowned scholars who later took up Master Hongyi's responsibility were Xia Mianzun (1886-1946) and Ye Gongchuo (1881-1968), who contributed prefaces, inscriptions and essays, further enriching the collection's significance across poetry, prose, calligraphy, and Chinese painting.

Ma Yifu (1883-1967), an accomplished scholar, wrote the preface for the first volume of the Husheng collection, concluding: "When one understands painting, one understands the heart; and when one understands how to protect the heart, one knows how to protect life."

Feng Yu, a grandson of Feng Zikai, says the exhibition's theme points to the original intention behind the artworks: peace, mutual support, harmonious coexistence, and empathy — enduring values championed by their forebears.