Paper trail shows master's technique
Exhibition sheds light on how Qi Baishi was able to produce incredible work on bits and scraps, Lin Qi reports.
Impulses to create
A man with a keen interest in nature, Qi grew potted flowers and kept small animals, and he observed attentively wherever he went.
He drew on substandard paper to capture the touches and moods that hit him in an instance and sometimes he would add a brief explanation on the paintings.
Once at a friend's home, he was impressed by a bronze incense burner in the shape of a duck. He was so captivated by its vivid look that he grabbed a piece of paper that was used to support a painting while framing the work, drew on it and meanwhile, wrote down how the duck's feet might move while walking. The drawing is on show at the current exhibition.
A portrait of his friend and sponsor Hu Peiheng, also on show, was made on a piece of packaging paper. Qi drew it to test new painting brushes and found it rather satisfying. He hung it on an iron wire to further examine the work and added brief commentary. People attending the exhibition can see clearly the name and address of the studio that the paper came from.
