'Army Painter' marshals forces of modern calligraphy

Born in Cangxian county in Hebei back in 1935, Zhang Daoxing is now deputy director of the Art Committee of the China Artists Association. As an officer of the People's Liberation Army and an artist in the Political Department of the Navy, Zhang is often referred to as the "Army Painter".

Zhang's early work was significantly influenced by the New Literati wave, which often borrowed from ancient Chinese literary works as a source of inspiration.

Zhang is especially fond of poems from the Tang Dynasty (AD618-907), and often uses horses as the theme of his paintings. "Figures Inspired by the Poem of Li He in Tang Dynasty" is one such equine-related work.