Seeking the artistic high ground

Painter's love and admiration evident in his work on the plateau, Lin Qi reports.

Pride and pressure were what Li Xiaoke (1944-2021) lived with as a second-generation artist in his family — his father was Li Keran (1907-89), one of the country's most prominent ink artists in the 20th century.

For years, Li Xiaoke observed his father at work, assisted him to exhibit, and accompanied him to social activities.

He saw how much his father was admired, for the creativity and reforms he injected in the field of Chinese painting. He wanted to find his own path to art which would free him from the influence of his father.