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With deft strokes,  Lo Pui-yung makes landscape painting look easy - even though she holds the brush with her toes.

Mixing ink and water as she goes, the  artist, who was born without arms, sits on the floor painting a mountain.

A computer graphic designer by day, Ms Lo, who is in her 20s, has been an avid artist since learning to paint with her toes 16 years ago.

This week, she will hold her first solo Chinese painting exhibition, with the help of the Arts With The Disabled Association Hong Kong.

But the road to her first solo exhibition has been bumpy.

Her first attempt in 2002 had to be called off because of a lack of funding.

Later, she  took part in an exhibition in Toronto that helped raised C$30,000 ($195,000) for charity, prompting the city to give her a certificate to recognise her efforts.

When she presented this to the Hong Kong government on her return, it agreed to sponsor her solo exhibition.

Ms Lo's interest in painting began when she took arts subjects at school in Form 4.

'I always paint when I am happy, that is why my paintings carry positive themes,' she said.

She can finish  a painting  an hour after coming up with the idea.

She likes to paint nature because of its rapid changes.

While Ms Lo said the aim of the exhibition was to share with others her paintings and calligraphy, her teacher, Emilie Chan, said it represented the triumph of a disabled person.

'We are not fighting for favours for the disabled. What we want is an equal opportunity to get government subsidies for arts exhibitions,' she said.

Ms Chan said finding a way to express themselves helped people with disabilities achieve psychological balance.

Ms Lo, who  was grateful for the support of her family and friends, said she would continue to hone her skills after the exhibition.

Admission is free for the exhibition, which runs from Wednesday until the following Tuesday at zone E3 of the Hong Kong Cultural Centre. Opening hours are from noon to 7pm daily.



Foot painter brings landscapes to life