"Painting and life, they were two lines before. As you walk farther and farther, the separate two lines merge into one." – Jia Guangjian

Jia Guangjian is the dean of the Tianjin Academy of Fine Arts. An apricot flower growing in his grandmother's garden was the source of his artistic enlightenment. His initial interest was nurtured by the illustrations of flying apsaras he saw in an encyclopedia. Thus encouraged to pursue art as a career, Jia gained inspiration for his painting from real life. While nourished by tradition, he is also innovative, and has revived the boneless painting style and introduced it into contemporary art.