A bold statement from ink painters

There seems to be a consensus that Chinese ink paintings should have a subdued beauty and cannot compete with oil paintings in terms of instant visual impact.

But an artist couple, Cai Xiaoli and Wang Jia'nan, disproves this idea with their brightly colored ink paintings that appeal to both Chinese and international collectors.

Inspired by remnants of ancient Chinese frescos, such as the masterpieces in the Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes, the duo have created paintings that rival oil art in terms of visual impact.

Not long after they graduated from the Central Academy of Fine Arts in the early 1980s, the couple moved to London where they exposed themselves to myriad Western art trends and styles.

Instead of giving up what they learned back home, they chose to revitalize and enrich the genre of ink art, borrowing ideas, techniques and concepts from Western art.

Their 70 works of zhongcaihua, or heavy-color ink paintings, are on show at the National Art Museum of China.

9 am-5 pm, March 13-20. National Art Museum of China, 1 Wusi Dajie, Dongcheng district, Beijing. 010-6401-7076.