Recently, an ongoing exhibition opens at the China National Academy of Painting in Beijing. The exhibition based on the research on Li Keran's Art, paying homage to his commitment to enlivening the centuries-old visual art tradition. The show is a part of celebrations marking the 40th anniversary of the academy.
The exhibition shows Li's landscapes and buffalo paintings, a popular theme in his oeuvre.
Li was 74 years old when he was appointed the founding director of the academy. Before that, he had taught classical painting at the Central Academy of Fine Arts for several decades.
Li was a pioneer in exploring styles and themes in Chinese ink painting. He developed a school of landscape art to portray the image of his homeland's mountains and streams, based on extensive journeys across China. He rendered his paintings a touch of historic grandeur, romanticism and spirituality to capture the eyes of people from different walks of life.