The photo shows one of Li Bo's painting, named "Erdos Bride." [Photo by Niu Jingjing/China.org.cn]

The series of paintings is an artistic record of the history of Mongolians in Inner Mongolia in some ways. "You can see how some of them are wearing sunhats, sunglasses and even ties, in keeping with the trends of the time," Li said." Even though they are different from each other, they share a common feature, which is the memory of this minority."

Mongolian life

When asked why he chose to paint Mongolian portraits, this 48-year-old artist explained that painters are inclined to paint what they are familiar with. Up until the age of seven, Li was cared for by a Mongolian family during the day, and this experience helped familiarize him with everyday Mongolian life. He even managed to pick up a little bit of the language.

"This family typifies the character and spirit of Inner Mongolia," Li said.

To expand his artistic horizon, Li built a painting studio in Beijing ten years ago, and since then he has been mostly living in Beijing and Hohhot. He spends about a month each year back in the Inner Mongolia grasslands, living with different herdsmen for the duration of his stay.

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