Brush with beauty

One of his representative works, Ode to White Herons, aims to present his cheerfulness toward life.

With long legs and white features, some herons hide behind plants while others wander along a stream.

They give people a relaxing and free feeling, Yu said.

Morning fog and reeds on the riverside are also carefully depicted, making the painting more real and lifelike.

In the distance, the sun is rising, symbolizing hope and happiness.

The painting filled with Chinese traditional elements precisely describes a beautiful natural scene while conveying the mood and emotions of the artist.

"I puts my energy, sense, emotions and thoughts together into my painting to create an ideal artistic world," Yu said.

Another representative work, Spring Comes to Every Corner of the World, presents the vitality and beauty of awakening nature.

Flowers are blooming in the spring breeze as butterflies and bees dancing around.

Yu said he tries to cherish life through depicting beautiful nature.

"Pan Jiezi (1915-2002), a renowned gongbi painter, once said that the two styles have the same spiritual essence," Yu said

"I agree with his conclusion - gongbi's meticulous brushworks does not equal to 'flat and plain'. In the contrast, they make free expression possible", he added.