The ink painter who drew inspiration from the resilience of life

Interactive installations and workshops are also part of the show. One experience is Letters from Baishi, in which dozens of envelopes have been hung in midair for visitors to take as souvenirs. Inside, there is a letter containing images of paintings, seal impressions and greetings from Qi.

Right next to it is another installation, Time-travel Postbox, which permits visitors to send him their replies. One visitor named Yognandam Maharaj wrote: "Thank you for creating your art. It reminded me that this is where we come from. The foundation of human culture is art. It is our duty to create and share. This is resistance, perseverance."

Wu Hongliang, director of the Beijing Fine Art Academy, says they have held 20 exhibitions to mark Qi's 160th anniversary, some of them abroad, and they are seeking possible collaborations with overseas museums that also have pieces of Qi's art in their collections.