Yu Jigao brings spirit and emotion to traditional realism.

Traditional wisdom holds that gongbi and xieyi, two distinct approaches to Chinese traditional flower-and-bird painting, can never be mixed.

But Yu Jigao, a gongbi painter from Jiangsu province, is breaking the stereotype.

He contends the two styles actually share the same spirit since they are rooted in Chinese culture and philosophies.

"I can convey the xieyi spirit through my gongbi artwork", he said.

Known for its expressive style, xieyi painting is characterized by freehand brushwork.

It was favored by ancient literati to express their emotions and personal feelings through art.

In contrast, gongbi style is realistic. It requires neat brushwork and close attention to detail.

"Some may say that gongbi focuses on resemblance and colors, so it is not as expressive as xieyi, and it lacks charm and spirit. This is not true," Yu said.

Despite difference in styles and approaches, artists can always compose artwork that possess spirit as long as they put their heart into the painting and have an urge to deliver their true feelings, he said.