Art of inkslabs

To commemorate the 100th birth anniversary of Li Xiannian, the late chairman of the Communist Party of China, artist Liu Ketang is holding an exhibition of inkslabs and ink paintings.

The inkslab is one of the four treasures of a study, with the other three being the writing brush, ink and paper.

Born in 1952 in Shandong province, Liu showed an early talent for painting and seal cutting. He began to learn inkslab creation in 1972. Some of his works has been sent to foreign leaders as state presents.