Mongolian figures straight out of the Italian renaissance

These women stare out from the paintings in a confident, strong-boned and assertive way. Yet they also contain the mystery and allure of the Mona Lisa, with eyes that don't give much away, and a backdrop of rolling hills. The paintings by Mongolian artist Xue Mo are on show at the Karin Weber Gallery in Aberdeen Street and are reminiscent of the Dutch masters - huge portraits with a backdrop of the Inner Mongolian countryside.

Xue, a Beijing-based cat-lover, and her husband, who is her manager, were recently in Hong Kong for the first time, says Weber. 'She paints real people. The woman in the yellow gown is a Mongolian princess, although they don't have the royal lineage any more. She says she likes to paint women because the only men she knows are her husband and father.'

Xue's paintings, which fetch HK$55,000, are increasingly popular. She shows in New York and Melbourne, but her quiet character means she's happiest when she's back drawing inspiration from the Inner Mongolian landscape.

'Her figures come straight out of the Italian renaissance,' says Weber. 'She paints on rough linen and you can feel the texture of the linen on the women's clothes. Her women are so strong.'

Mongolian Portraits by Xue Mo is on show until June 14 at G/F, 20 Aberdeen Street, Central. Tel: 2544 5004