He covers Beijing in dragons

A dozen of Qi's trademark shaggy dragons are swooping across the huge canvases covering Beijing's concrete walls.[Photo provided to China Daily]

Qi ascribes the chengguans' reaction partly to the nature of street art itself.

"Street art works display a love for the world," he says passionately. "It is different from graffiti, which doesn't consider its interaction with the environment. Street art is delicately created for a specific place."

This is certainly true of Qi, who gives an extraordinary amount of thought to how his work will be received by the community. Far from being a reclusive rebel like Banksy, in spirit he is much closer to the street performer Beever, even taking requests from passers-by.

Right now, he confesses, he is having some trouble with his dragons. "In the past, I have always painted my dragons black and white," he says. "But people keep asking me, why don't you paint with more color? It seems to be a requirement of the general public. So, I have been studying ways to add more color."

This dedication is partly cultural. "Chinese philosophy is humble. As I listen to people's advice, I get better, just like I take inspiration from the great masters," he says, before adding with a laugh. "But I don't take all the advice! If it's bad advice, I ignore it."

However, another reason Qi feels compelled to listen to the community is that he feels he should act as an ambassador for street art in China.

"I feel like my street work has more significance (than my 3-D work), because it may be able to change people's opinion of street art," he says.