Though known for horses, painter has broader range

In 1983, Qi was accepted by the Shenyang Lu Xun Academy of Fine Arts, where he studied horse painting from Xu Yong.

"Xu Yong's horse paintings are lifelike, diverse, novel and full of energy," Qi said. "And through his teachings, I learned how to capture not only a horse's appearance but also its essence."

Qi graduated from China Central Academy of Fine Arts, where he majored in mural painting.

In 2013, with his achievements in painting, Qi was accepted by the graduate school of Peking University, studying and doing research with Liu Dawei in Liu's studio. Liu is also a master in Chinese painting.

Through years of training and practice, Qi developed his own style of horse painting, which has won him renown throughout the world.

His extemporaneous Chinese ink painting The Vigor of the Horse, measuring 14.2 by 7.3 meters, set a new record in the Singapore Book of Records for the Largest Chinese Brush Painting at the Bras Basah Complex.

"Qi's horses, painted in ink, are unique. He merges Xu Beihong's accuracy with Ma Ende's magnificence," deputy editor-in-chief of Art Magazine Chen Jianming said. "They have power from the inside out."

"We have a lot of horse painters, but his painting has some modern elements, and it's different from others," said Liang Zhenkang, president of the Federation of Art Societies Singapore

"Painters in the past tended to illustrate horses in an externalized way. Qi doesn't," said Liang.

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