Dazzling Decade

New exhibition highlights the stunning bout of creativity unleashed by Chinese ink-brush master Li Keran. Lin Qi reports.

"I am poor in time" and "I don't have much left in my account of the bank of life" were what ink-brush master Li Keran (1907-89) was often heard saying during the last decade of his life.

The period was the most peaceful and busiest time Li had ever experienced. There were no more wars or chaos, no more hunger or forced relocations, to distract him from painting.