Li Lei brings his visual symphony to Beijing

Shanghai-based artist Li Lei says that lately he has been listening to Sergei Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No 2. He is "moved to tears" each time he hears the late Russian composer's piece.

"He was a master at controlling the emotions of listeners. He arranged the notes accordingly, like deploying forces in warfare. And he made musical instruments encounter as well as enhance each other, like performers in a play," says Li, who is also the deputy director of Shanghai's China Art Museum.

The 52-year-old hopes his own works - paintings, sculptures, installations and poems - can also reflect individuality and act as a narrator of stories. And when they come together in a show, they will compose a dramatic visual symphony.