SAN FRANCISCO, CA.- The Asian Art Museum of San Francisco opened Qi Baishi: Inspiration In Ink, a landmark exhibition celebrating the life and work of the renowned ink painter Qi Baishi (Chinese, 1864–1957). This exhibition marks the 160th anniversary of the artist’s birth and features 42 works on paper lent by the Beijing Fine Art Academy, where Qi served as its first honorary director. This is the first time these works have been presented in the United States.

Born during the late Qing Dynasty, Qi Baishi was positioned at a unique place in history, living through some of the most transformative shifts in China’s political and cultural history. Despite this changing landscape, the artist’s accessible subject matter and virtuosic style earned him immense respect and popularity, both at home and abroad. In 1960, Qi became the first Chinese artist ever to receive a solo exhibition at the de Young Memorial Museum in San Francisco. Sometimes referred to as China’s Picasso, his pieces have achieved record-breaking prices at auctions worldwide — as high as $141 million in 2017 for Twelve Landscape Screens (1925) — underscoring his profound impact on the art market and his status as an international cultural icon.

Qi Baishi’s legendary career saw the artist rise from humble origins as a peasant carpenter to become one of China’s most revered and best-selling painters. Celebrated for its whimsical approach and technical virtuosity, his works bring to life subjects drawn from the natural world and everyday life. Iconic images of shrimp and crab, among other motifs, reflect his ability to find hidden visual joys and transform the mundane into the magical, resonating with viewers across generations. Many of these motifs are included in the works on view.

“Qi Baishi’s technical abilities and expressionistic approach imbue his art with a spiritual quality, inviting viewers to contemplate the deeper significance of everyday motifs,” says Fan Jeremy Zhang, Barbara and Gerson Bakar Curator of Chinese Art. “His work resonates so widely with audiences because he not only captures his subjects but also seeks to express their spirit through calligraphic, spontaneous strokes, something that requires master brushwork.”

Considered the most popular painter of 20th-century China, Qi’s semi-abstract, minimalist approach to ink painting not only bridged traditional Chinese ink art with modernist tendencies but also left a lasting impact on global art movements. He was publicly admired by Picasso and served as an ink art teacher to celebrated Japanese American artist and architect Isamu Noguchi. Today, scholars credit Qi’s combination of mundane subject matter and innovative, multifaceted techniques as having revitalized traditional Chinese ink painting for the modern era.

“Qi Baishi’s quotidian subject matter and whimsical, playful style made his art incredibly accessible to audiences at the time, making him the first Chinese painter to capture the attention of American audiences,” says Rob Mintz, Chief Curator at the Asian Art Museum. “His ability to capture the beauty in the ordinary contributed to his growing popularity inside and outside of China, a legacy that continues to thrive today.”

Connect past to present through interactive experiences

In conjunction with the exhibition, visitors will have the opportunity to engage with Qi Baishi’s legacy through both digital and tactile experiences. Guests can digitally “paint” at a desk that renders their own virtual “brushstrokes” in the style of Qi Baishi. Visitors can also take a small piece of the exhibition home with a Letters from the Artist wall, on which guests can find replicas of letters that Qi wrote to his patrons and friends about a century ago.

“This exhibition offers a rare opportunity to engage with a master of Chinese ink painting in a profoundly personal way,” says Jay Xu, The Barbara Bass Bakar Director and CEO. “Qi Baishi’s art invites us to find joy and enlightenment in everyday life, making his work both universally relatable and deeply inspiring.”

Qi Baishi: Inspiration In Ink runs through April 7, 2025.