Brushstrokes of courage

An elderly woman who picked up painting after cancer surgery has become an unlikely artistic inspiration, Wang Xin reports in Shanghai.

Xu Fengying, a 79-year-old from rural Shanghai, never imagined she would become an oil painter. Yet, a decade ago, she picked up a brush for the first time and began an extraordinary new chapter in her life.

In late May, more than 150 of her oil paintings were exhibited at a gallery in Beijing, drawing praise from artists, academics and visitors alike.