Myth and life

"The story and ribbon are Chinese, but the naked muscular body comes from Western paintings," he says.

His ribbon is inspired by the apsara (heavenly creature in Hindu mythology) frescoes in Buddhist artworks in Northwest China's Dunhuang Grottoes.

In other paintings, he appears as Zhong Kui, the mythological demon-killer; Kua Fu, a giant trying to catch the sun; Hou Yi, an archer in Chinese mythology who saved people by shooting down nine of 10 suns; Su Wu, a legendary Han Dynasty diplomat who tended sheep after being captured and detained for 19 years, and so on.

In some others, he recreates scenes from everyday life such as his family members eating watermelon or catching fish from a river.

"Some people have told me to have a particular theme in my paintings－pumpkins, eggplants, Chinese watermelon or chillies－that masters like Qi Baishi have painted. How can I match them in technique? But I do have my own strengths," Lyu says.

Although Lyu's paintings cannot be considered original, they seem to carry a sense of humor, especially the caricatured images of himself and his family, such as the naked male version of Nyu Wa.

"All these mythological or historical figures are me－buzz cut hair, round face with a mustache and a pair of round glasses," he says, laughing.

When he drew Guan Yu, a famous general from the Three Kingdoms (220-280) period, who had a long beard, he ingeniously created a man eating noodles, which are pulled from the bowl to appear like a fake beard.