Colors of conviction

The gorgeous hues, unbridled brush lines and sober compositions of woman artist Li Dongxia's works brighten the National Art Museum of China's exhibition hall.

One painting features a cloud-covered black cup, which rests quietly on a table. Inside the cup, scattered tealeaves languidly float on the brown watper's surface.

Another picture, mountains pile upon one another against the subdued backdrop of a blue sky. Thin white lines delineate the cottages in the foreground and separate the layers of the remote mountains.