Many years ago, I first saw Lai Zhigang paintings on the calligraphy and painting channel, and they left a deep impression on me. I need to clarify one thing, which is why I definitely wanted to come to this opening. In the Li Family landscape painting tradition, Lai Zhigang is one of the most diligent painters among the third generation.

In his paintings, you can see many large works, each of which he spends a long time on. Every large work is detailed and deeply depicted, yet the brushwork feels relatively loose. Therefore, within the Li Family landscape painting and the traditional ink accumulation method of Huang Binhong, he has developed his own unique style.

Especially when I saw his large work "Tide," which is tens of meters long and only depicts a bit of water. Only someone truly clever would dare to paint like this. Hence the saying, "The wise enjoy water, the benevolent enjoy mountains." Those who paint water must be very intelligent.

Lai Zhigang control and use of brush and ink are flexible and grand. Looking at the painting "Sanctuary" behind me, his depiction of mountains and clouds is very good. I especially like his clouds, which are rich and ethereal, which is very difficult to achieve with ink accumulation. His work is vivid and profound, making significant contributions to the Li Family landscape tradition.

To be honest, such works are difficult to handle. Few artists can create such large paintings and reach such a high level. I just saw his depiction of clouds, which many people and regions also paint, but his mastery of brush and ink, and the handling of smoke and clouds, is the best. He focuses on ink, which is a strength of Chinese painting and literati painting. He excels in the changes of ink, smoke, clouds, and lines, and has learned the spirit of the Li Family landscape painting.

After seeing his paintings, I was very pleased. It feels like the Li Family landscape tradition has successors. His work has grandeur and detailed parts in terms of artistic conception, which relates to his consistent painting philosophy. It looks good from afar and up close, with both a shocking aspect and a detailed aspect. The mountain and stone structure is well done, and the brushwork up close is also impressive. His sensitivity to landscapes is evident, and his emotions are genuine. Colors can hide many flaws, but pure ink requires true skill. From his small paintings, it is clear that he has done a lot of sketching, all inspired by his feelings. He is attentive to life's details and expresses these discoveries well in landscape paintings.

In this way, his paintings have grandeur from a distance and rich details up close. The houses and waterfalls are lively, realistic, and full of brush and ink flavor, which is also very important.