More than 20 oil paintings, prints and sketches created by Su Xinping, a professor at the Beijing-based Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA), will be on display from Saturday.

The 48-year-old from Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region graduated from the CAFA with a master’s degree in printmaking.

He says that oil painting is his bread and butter, while printmaking is his labor of love. According to a China Daily report in January, Su’s oil paintings on average sell for 300,000 yuan (US$41,000), while his prints go for 30,000 yuan.

“Art is purely a private thing and an expression of the artist himself,” he says. “Without the steering power of the market, the artist works for himself, and self-achievement takes precedence over public opinion. But unfortunately, that’s not the way it is in today’s art market.”

Su’s engravings both venerate and question printmaking, the traditional Chinese art form. His advocacy of contemporary theories is apparent in his emphasis on plurality and imprinting, “the essential beauty of printing.” He hones in on a rationalized spirituality and workday life.

Su draws inspiration from a changing China and, rather than follow international trends, he uses an introspective technique that is unique in today’s contemporary art scene.

While the themes and content may not create an immediate connection with viewers, the controlled technique used to portray the movement of the figures, who blend with the rolling hills, conveys a sense of innocence. Su’s ability to create communicative facial expressions increases the scenes’ peace and tranquility.

Dates: March 29-May 4

Hours: 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m.

Closed Monday

Venue: He Xiangning Art Museum (何香凝美术馆)

Add: Overseas Chinese Town, Shennan Thoroughfare, Nanshan District (南山区华侨城)

Buses: 21, 26, 32, 54, 59, 101, 105, 109, 121, 204, 209, 210, 222, 223, 232, 234, 245, 319, 327, 328, 350, 367, 370, 373, 390

Metro: Hua Qiao Cheng Station (Overseas Chinese Town Station 华侨城站), Exit C

(SD-Agencies)