Qi Baishi (1864-1957), born in Xiangtan Hunan and styled Weiqing, was also known by his literary name Lanting, Binsheng, etc.. He ranks to be the most famous, influential and innovative Chinese painting master, calligrapher, seal carving expert and poet in the Chinese painting circle of the twentieth century. He once served as the Honorary President of China National Academy of Painting, as well as the owner of International Peace Prize and “World Cultural Celebrity” selected by the World Peace Council.

Throughout his life, Qi Baishi deemed art as the “Road of Loneliness” and broke through traditions by “painting what the predecessors did not paint and expressing what the predecessors never expressed”. From exercising “Suoning Reform”, creating “Red Flower and Ink Leaves”, selecting “resemblance of non-resemblance” as “vivid birds” to sticking to the “Road of Loneliness” and eventually obtaining “natural interests”, he applied over 50-year artistic practice to construct his own and unique art system in the long history of Chinese painting. He sincerely eulogized and respectfully praised nature and life, integrated secular fun into sentiment of literators, infused time spirit into traditional culture, and significantly expanded the creation themes of Chinese painting. His art plays a significant role in the modern and contemporary transition of Chinese traditional drawing, and exerts profound influences on the development of Chinese painting in the twentieth century. 

Beijing Painting Academy is the institution with the richest collection of Qi Baishi with complete art system. Ningbo Museum has delivered sincere invitation to Beijing Painting Academy for the joint exhibition titled as “Art World of Qi Baishi”, which is themed by “No Undeserved Reputation”, a seal of Qi Baishi in later life, composed of five patterns, namely “No Duke Generated from Star Pond Qi Home”, “God Rewards the Diligent”, “Debt of Gratitude to Bosom Friends”, “Road of Loneliness” and “Rich Man with Three Hundred Square of Stones”, and available to comprehensively present the life experience, character, emotion and art development vein of Qi Baishi, to restore the evolution track and characteristics of Qi Baishi Art, and to explore the “Natural Interest” behind the works of Qi Baishi. We sincerely hope that, thanks to such special exhibition, audiences can review the essence, get new feeling inspiration, experience the development of Chinese painting in the twenties century as well as the spectacular during the reform process, and appreciate the background and charm of Chinese traditional culture.