Many paintings by Qi have smart and humorous titles and inscriptions, expressing his views of life. One painting of two chicks fighting for one angleworm is titled "Friends in the Past". A painting of cooked crabs on a plate has the inscription, “Why don’t you move?” This implies Qi’s dislike for imperious or domineering people, which a crab symbolizes in Chinese culture.
Although Qi Baishi did not have any formal education or training in the field of art, he mastered many different techniques including calligraphy and seal-carving.
By Wen Yi
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