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Friendship grows on shared revival of ink art
Updated: Jan 28, 2026
By Lin Qi
chinadaily.com.cn
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No words can summarize the relationship between Xu Beihong, Qi Baishi and Zhang Daqian, three eminent reformers of 20th-century art, better than the Chinese idiom, xing xing xiang xi, which translates to mutual recognition between the wise, or like minds that admire each other.
The three artists' distinctive practice of combining Western techniques revived the ink tradition in the modern age. A shared belief in the value of ink art motivated them to develop different approaches, which also built their friendship.
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