Landscape artist rests his heart in between mountains and waters

Niu Chao constructs a spiritual haven for mind and soul, enriched by mountains, waters, falls and guqinmusic, at the gallery of National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing. [Photo provided to China Daily]

It's been a decade since Niu Chao became a resident artist of Beijing Fine Art Academy which prizes itself on the revival of Chinese ink tradition since establishment and is home of dozens of ink artists of repute.

His solo exhibition now on at the gallery of National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing, Embraced in Lakes and Mountains, surveys on his explorations with brushwork to depict nature and a spiritual haven for one's mind and soul. It runs until June 16.

Niu Chao constructs a spiritual haven for mind and soul, enriched by mountains, waters, falls and guqin music, at the gallery of National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing. [Photo provided to China Daily]

The landscape paintings on show include both colored and monochromatic. The colored works show his experiment of the qinglyu (blue-and-green), a unique genre of classical Chinese paintings of which a lot of blue and green are applied to create a majestic atmosphere.

Niu also does monochromatic works to present the harmony of layering varying shades of ink and his well use of lining.

His work is also blended with his understanding of playing guqin, the Chinese plucked zither, which has brought him further deeply into the mind of ancient scholars, who found shared aesthetic pursuit in the creation of painting, calligraphy, poetry and music.

Artist Niu Chao [Photo provided to China Daily]

Niu Chao constructs a spiritual haven for mind and soul, enriched by mountains, waters, falls and guqin music, at the gallery of National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Niu Chao constructs a spiritual haven for mind and soul, enriched by mountains, waters, falls and guqin music, at the gallery of National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Niu Chao constructs a spiritual haven for mind and soul, enriched by mountains, waters, falls and guqin music, at the gallery of National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Niu Chao constructs a spiritual haven for mind and soul, enriched by mountains, waters, falls and guqin music, at the gallery of National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Niu Chao constructs a spiritual haven for mind and soul, enriched by mountains, waters, falls and guqin music, at the gallery of National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Niu Chao constructs a spiritual haven for mind and soul, enriched by mountains, waters, falls and guqin music, at the gallery of National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing. [Photo provided to China Daily]