What's on

Atmospheric ink

Li Geng's father, Li Keran, was a prominent artist in the 20th century, and his mother, Zou Peizhu, was a well-established sculptor. Li Geng's younger brother, Li Xiaoke, was an ink painter. Li Geng showed a talent for art since childhood and later evolved into an ink painter himself. The Rhyme of Ink, an ongoing exhibition, at the National Art Museum of China in Beijing, navigates Li Geng's decades of experimentation with Chinese painting by pushing the boundary of ink, the medium of Chinese art throughout centuries. His monochromatic works, done in an abstract manner, present a rhythmic and philosophical touch. The exhibition runs through June 29.

9 am-5 pm, closed on Mondays. 1 Wusi Dajie, Dongcheng district, Beijing. 010-6400-1476.

Watercolor artist

In its transformation from a border town to a commercial hub, Shenzhen, Guangdong province, has been attracting talented people from different walks of life, including artists. Chen Xidan, a watercolor artist and native of Shanghai, was among early artists from other parts of the country to settle in Shenzhen and contribute to the development of art. To mark Chen's accomplishments, Shenzhen Art Museum is showing dozens of his works through June 26. Since his relocation to Shenzhen in 1984, Chen has played a vital role in the city's watercolor scene. Besides his paintings, he has established a society for watercolor enthusiasts and organized exhibitions in and outside China to show works by Shenzhen's artists.

9 am-5 pm, closed on Mondays. 32 Donghu Yi Jie, inside Donghu Park, Aiguo Road, Luohu district, Shenzhen, Guangdong province.0755-2542-6069.

For artisans

Handicrafts embody rich messages of history and culture. In the process of urbanization and globalization, the diversity of traditional crafts are being rediscovered, valued and developed. An exhibition now on at Suzhou Museum West brings together works by a younger generation of artisans in Suzhou, Wuxi and Changzhou, Jiangsu province, a region with a long history of producing handicrafts. The exhibition gives vivid examples of artisanship, including jade carving, gold sculpting, wood engraving, lacquer coating and embroidery. The show engages the audience in a discussion on how handicrafts have become an integral part of modern lifestyle, and a way for people to feel cultural identity. The exhibition runs through Aug 7.

9 am-5 pm, closed on Mondays. 399 Changjiang Road, Gaoxin district, Suzhou, Jiangsu province. 0512-6757-1665.

'Spiritual drift'

Ma Kelu, an important but low-profile figure in Chinese contemporary art, says, "painting is almost a madness and impossibility. Tirelessly, we enjoy it even though there is no path to return. Painting is a way of existence, a spiritual drift." The Beijing-based artist's solo exhibition, Wilderness, at the Pearl Lam Galleries, in Hong Kong, is an assembly of his landscapes and abstract works, done on paper, canvas and traditional xuanzhi (rice paper), since the 1970s. Ma's representational landscape paintings embody memories of Beijing from the past, while the abstract works show his sought-after purity and a highly personal expression in art. The exhibition ends on July 30.

10 am-7 pm, Monday to Saturday.601-605 Pedder Building, 12 Pedder Street, Central, Hong Kong. 852-2522-1428.