Depiction of ever-changing cityscapes at the heart of reforms by ink artist

Beihai Park [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The mountain-and-water genre of Chinese painting enjoys a long history of which painters in the past created half-realistic, half-imagined natural scenery to express their understanding of the relation between the humankind and the universe.

While in modern times, it has been an undertaking of artists to usher the style into a new context to address people's contemporary need.

Since 2007, Yang Liuyi has been exploring the integration of animated city scenes into the depiction of nature. An art gallery named after him and showing his such "city landscape" style of ink paintings over the years was recently opened in Zhongshan, a picturesque city in Guangdong province.

The inaugural show through to March 15 investigates on Yang's efforts in the portraying different cities' history and social development, and their distinctive natural environment which has shaped the city's past and present.

Sunrise in Qingdao [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Summer Palace [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Beautiful Chengde [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]