Nature's inspiration flows to expression for painter Yu Jigao.

It is widely accepted that traditional Chinese painting can be divided into two categories: gongbi, or fine brushwork with great attention to detail, and xieyi, a freehand style of brushwork that expresses meaning and spirit.

But Painter Yu Jigao does not agree with that general interpretation.

"Admittedly xieyi focuses on spirit and renders resemblance of the bearing and expression of the objects, but it is definitely not the only genre that can achieve such results," he said.

"In traditional Chinese culture, humans and the universe are not related as subject and object, but instead they join and merge into each other to achieve the harmony and perfection of lives. Expressions of such a spirit of lives remain at the highest level of Chinese culture."

Yu believes that both gongbi and xieyi require a whole process for the artist to make up his mind.