Painter has first solo show on mainland

Dusk in Childhood Memory. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Liu has authored more than 70 books, including best-selling inspirational tomes including To Go Beyond Yourself, To Create Yourself and To Affirm Yourself, as well as works of literature and art books.

For him, painting and writing are essentially the same and he sees painting as simply a more visual way to express himself.

According to Liu, his paintings are often closely related to his literary creation, and he only paints when he has something to express.

"A verse line may both inspire me to paint and to write. I might do a painting and write prose on the same theme," he said.

Liu said he values painting from nature, which has helped him accumulate lots of visual images in his mind. He has formed many unique expressions and skills through his constant practice of painting from life.

The Beijing exhibition contains a special section that displays paintings from life.