Renowned calligrapher, painter and scholar Qi Gong died in a Beijing hospital yesterday morning. He was 93.
Qi, who specialised in cursive script, was considered one of the most prominent masters of the traditional art of calligraphy for the past half century.
He created a distinctive calligraphic style of seemingly effortless elegance through a skilful interplay between character proportions that later became known by his name. Examples of his brushwork have been long sought after by top oriental art galleries inside and outside of China.
Qi was also an accomplished ink and brush painter and an eminent art connoisseur. In his early years he was better known for his landscape painting, but from the 1980s onwards he focused on traditional themes such as bamboo, rocks and plants.
His artistic passions also included poetry, which along with calligraphy and painting are known as the 'three excellences' of traditional Chinese culture. He was also a leading authority on the Chinese language and classic Chinese literature.
His death was described in the mainland press as 'a huge loss to the Chinese intellectual community and a gigantic void that can hardly be filled'.
The grand old man of traditional Chinese cultural scholarship was also known for his low profile and sense of humour.