Sketching tiger, hidden meaning

Yao Shaohua was born in Beijing in 1942 and studied under Wang Jinglu, one of the most renowned artists of his generation. From him, the young Yao learned the skills necessary for his exquisite depictions of landscapes, flowers and birds. Later, he graduated to become a student of another grand master - Hu Shuang'an. It was during his apprenticeship to Hu that Yao began to develop his distinct tiger motif that was to characterize many of his mature works.

Mastering many of the skills of his two noble forebears, Yao began to concentrate on developing his own style. This style came to be pervasive in his later work and his singular representation of the many postures and expressions of the tigers he committed to canvas.

Sometimes he sparingly uses only a few lines to bring the tigers to life, yet the essence of his works goes well beyond his scant outlines. To many, his paintings represent the veritable apogee of Chinese freehand brushwork.