This ink painting break the boundaries between Chinese ink aesthetics and Western abstract works by blending the qualities of both traditions to create a brand new artistic landscape. In 2004, Gao donated some of his manuscripts, ink paintings and photographs to the University Library, this Ink Sketch being one of them.
Gao was born in Ganzhou (in Jiangxi province), is a well-known novelist, essayist, playwright, painter and literacy critic. Gao became the first Chinese to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2000 for his acclaimed novel Soul Mountain. In November 2001, Gao received an Honorary Doctorate from The Chinese University of Hong Kong.