QiBaishi
1 min readQi Baishi（1864-1957）was born into a poor wfamily in Hunan Province.When he was young his parents apprenticed him to a carpenter.He accidentally got hold of a book about painting and began studying by himself.At the age of 27 he began studying regularly from a teacher，who taught him painting and other forms of arts related to painting，such as seal cutting，poetry and literature.
Though starting a systematic study at quite an old age，he made quick progress through hard work.He then spent seven years touring China and socializing with people from all walks of life，which helped him broaden his horizons and change his artistic concepts.
When the Japanese invaded China，he refused to draw for Japanese military officers.He even stopped selling pieture 9o sips tby o Bihipaintings，saying that he would rather starve than lose his national integrity.In his fifties，Qi stopped copying the traditional painting technique and started inventing his own unique style，which was well received by the masses.Except for the traditional plum，orchid，bamboo，and chrysanthemum，he fused ordinary people’s lives in his painting，and thus made a great contribution to the spread of traditional Chinese painting both at home and abroad.Qi was bestowed with the title of“People’s Artist”by the Ministry of Culture in 1953.In 1955，he was awarded the World Peace Prize by the World Peace Council.
