Successful painter takes on a prisoner as apprentice

A prisoner named Liu Gang (alias) kneels down and bows to Xu Lingxia, who is a successful painter, in a prison square in Zhengzhou city, capital of Central China's Henan province, Sept 22, 2011. Xu lost her job years ago and then was found to suffer from a serious brain disease that weakened her physical condition and eyesight, but she persisted in learning painting by apprenticing herself to other painters, while she had to take care of her paralyzed mother. After she gained success, Xu also started to take on apprentices to teach them painting for free. The prisoner, Liu Gang who was inspired by Xu's experience, eventually wrote to Xu, asking her to take him as her apprentice. With a view to guiding Liu back 'onto the straight and narrow', Xu took the prisoner on. During her visit to the prison, Xu also held a painting class for more than 30 prisoners who enjoy painting. [Photo/CFP]