Vibrant works challenge traditional notions of paintings

Many people believe that Chinese paintings prioritize lines but give inadequate emphasis on color. That's unfortunately a misconception silk painter Mu Yilin has been rectifying with his resplendent works.

Be it his early painting Impression of a Lotus Pond or signature series Both Sky and Earth Are Poems, the bold, extensive use of colors, either in an abstract or concrete way, stand in stark contrast to those traditional Chinese works one typically has in mind.

Mu did not paint this way at the very start. Born in 1944, he studied traditional Chinese painting at Shanghai Fine Arts School from 1960 to 1966. Like most contemporary Chinese painters, Mu started his career by painting on the traditional medium of paper and made his name in the field when his work won first prize in a nationwide competition in 1979.