Sketching out a career

Wang Meichen, an artist with a degree from Tsinghua University's arts and design academy.[Photo provided to China Daily]

Then, when she enrolled at Tsinghua she found she was not well prepared for the new environment.

"Many of my postgraduate classmates had studied oil painting before," says Wang.

"I felt huge pressure, so for the first year I did not paint at all but tried to carve out a niche that could create a clear path for my future."

She adopted an abstract approach. And for the remaining two years she says she painted from morning until 11 pm, almost every day.

Many students of painting now incorporate installation and mixed media into their creations, making their work eye-catching.

Wang says she is not against the trend but is more fascinated with painting and the challenge it brings.

"Skills and vibrant colors don't necessarily make a great piece.

"It is what an artist wants to express that really matters, even though sometimes he or she is not understood by others.

"And that is the best thing I've learned at Tsinghua."