Road to Peak, a series exhibition running until Dec 7 at the Art News of China gallery in Beijing, puts a spotlight on different generations of painters working in the style of xiey i(presenting the spirit) of classical Chinese painting. The first show, now underway, displays works by those in the 1980s and '70s.

The presentation of the highly expressive xieyi tradition having been passed on for centuries. In a modern context, it is a major aspect of the work of ink artists.

Jiang Baolin, one of the veteran painters on show, said when discussing the future of xieyi, people should carry on the core values of traditions – adding that modernizing xieyi doesn't mean abandoning solid techniques, and "we need to diversify the representations and concepts of the style so it will reflect the needs of our time".