Cui Guangwu 崔光武

About Cui Guangwu

"Contemporary Baishi" 当代白石 — Wang Guangying, Vice Chairman of the NPC Standing Committee

Cui Guangwu (崔光武, 1911–2016) was a distinguished Chinese ink painter and a direct disciple of the legendary master Qi Baishi. Born into a humble farming family, he left home at just 14 to apprentice as a blacksmith in Dashiqiao Town. Too slight for the heavy labor, he turned instead to painting — and discovered his life's calling.

Through years of devoted self-study, Cui developed deep skills in oil painting, Chinese painting, and engraving. In 1931, his talent caught the attention of Guan Nanping, a noted painter and fellow disciple of Qi Baishi. Guan sponsored the young artist's journey to Beijing to meet the great master himself. Impressed by Cui's sincerity and his shrimp, crab, and landscape paintings, Qi Baishi accepted him as a personal disciple.

Under Qi Baishi's tutelage, Cui mastered the revered shrimp and crab painting techniques — practicing 50 shrimps and 20 crabs daily. His dedication spanned decades. In 1998, Qi Baishi's great-grandson Qi Folai viewed Cui's work and inscribed on his painting: "with Qi Baishi style" — a profound recognition of his artistic achievement.

Cui Guangwu lived to the age of 105, leaving behind a remarkable legacy that bridges the traditions of classical Chinese ink painting with a deeply personal artistic vision.