Bask in Russian sunlight

Art prices are falling and many studios, galleries and private museums face uncertain times because of the financial crisis. But Min Li is optimistic about her exhibition, The Warm Sunlight in Winter, which showcases more than 100 modern oil paintings by Russian artists.

"Russian oil painting has a long tradition and has influenced many Chinese artists among whom some are teaching at the Central Academy of Fine Arts," says Min, who has been running the Jing Yi Yuan Russian Oil Painting Gallery in Beijing for eight years.

Min, who studied oil painting in Russia, brought her professors' works to Beijing when she first started her gallery.