Sealing the deal

An ongoing exhibition at the Museum of Beijing Fine Art Academy offers viewers a rare chance to learn about the century-old Chinese art of seal cutting.

On show are 300 stone seals by master ink painter Qi Baishi (1864-1957), along with stamped signets.

Qi is widely recognized as one of the most influential Chinese artists of the 20th century and was also a poet, calligrapher and ink painter. The artist carved seals for his family members, students and friends. The rest were used to grace his ink paintings and calligraphic works.

Seal cutting has long been an important skill for Chinese ink artists, and the content usually relates to painting and calligraphy, and demonstrates the artist's emotions and artistic principles.

The exhibits show Qi's creative evolution. For his seal-cutting art, Qi draws on masterpieces and ancient scripts carved on bronze works. His seal-cutting art exerted a deep influence on later generations of artists.

9 am-5 pm, until June 4. Museum of the Beijing Fine Art Academy, 1 Liulitun Beili, Chaoyang district, Beijing. 010-6507-1285.