Chen Banding & Tsau Kejia

Chen Banding (1876–1970) was a major figure in modern Chinese painting and a founding member of the Beijing Fine Art Academy. Alongside Chen Shizeng, he was celebrated as one of the “Two Chens,” known for integrating the expressive vitality of the Shanghai School with the restrained elegance of the Beijing School. Deeply influenced by masters such as Wu Changshuo and Ren Bonian, Chen developed a distinctive xieyi style later recognized as the “Chen School,” exerting a lasting influence on twentieth-century Chinese ink painting.

Tsau Kejia (1906–1979) was a renowned modern gongbi painter best known for his depictions of cats. A student of Chen Banding, Tsau transformed traditional fine-line animal painting by incorporating layered brushwork and tonal techniques derived from landscape painting. His feline subjects are distinguished by richly textured, lifelike fur, subtle coloration, and vivid expressive character, establishing a highly distinctive visual language within the genre. 

In addition to teaching at the Central Academy of Arts and Crafts, Tsau authored influential publications including How to Paint Cats, securing his enduring place within modern Chinese painting. Together, their master-student lineage represents a vital link in the institutionalization and preservation of classical techniques within a modernizing twentieth-century art world.