Born in 1939 in Shenxian county in Hebei province, the artist Yang Yanwen is well-known for his holistic integration of lines, forms, colors and inks into innovative compositions, as well as his contemporary Chinese painting style.

Yang is a member of the Chinese Artists Association, a director of the art committee and a professional painter at the Beijing Painting Academy. He is also rated as a first-class national artist and has received special acknowledgment from the State Council for his outstanding expertise.

Yang is now taking overall charge of the Calligraphy and Painting Division of the Central Literature and History Research Institute.

Yang grew up by a riverbank and his ink-wash paintings are thematically and emotionally connected with water, mist and clouds - the water of nature in all of its forms. Upon graduating from the Beijing Art Academy in 1963, Yang showed a distinct talent for fine art, in both Chinese and Western styles.

He painted in oil for several decades but switched to rice paper in the late 1970s. Unlike his peers, Yang's ink-wash paintings are deeply imbued with sundry textures and layers of colors, strongly influenced by his experience with oil painting.

His subjects are related to water, clouds and mist and his works frequently have an aquatic tone.

Commenting on his own work, Yang says: "Some say that what one acquires in his or her childhood greatly influences one's later life. I grew up in a village along the river. All the kids were good at swimming and fishing."

Yang, then, has an understandable feeling for water, which he expresses in the form of clouds, mist and fog throughout his creations.

He says: "I am particularly fond of painting China's southern canal towns. Though many artists have addressed the subject, I still wanted to infuse the scenes with something new."

Yang's canal town paintings are filled with historical depth, not at all romantic or nostalgic. He believes in reflecting the erosion of time and harmony.