"If we liken the history of the 20th-century Chinese ink art to a galaxy, the eight masters featured at the exhibition are without any doubt the brightest stars,” he said. “Their achievements in artistic creation and art education epitomize the zenith of 20th century Chinese ink art."

The exhibits on display are on loan from nine art institutions, including the Nanjing Museum, the National Art Museum of China, the Beijing Painting Academy, the Xu Beihong Memorial, the Li Keran Art Foundation, the Tianjin Museum, the Long Museum, the Suzhou Museum and the Nanjing Museum Administration.

Running until Feb 28, the exhibition will unfold in two phases due to a limited exhibition space, organizers said. Before Jan 10, 97 works will be on show, and from Jan 10 to Feb 28 another 61 works will be on display. A super-sized catalog will soon be published to offer the general public a detailed explanation and in-depth analysis on exhibited ink masterpieces.