Six-year-old Wows Beijing Art World

Yangchun Baixue is fast becoming a major talent in China's art world at the age of six. Despite her young years, she already uses oils like a professional to depict striking female figures on vertical canvases, explaining: "I have people, characters, in my head who I like to draw, but mostly I like to draw my mama."

The Sichuan-born daughter of two painters, the tiny youngster says she has been interested in art since the age of one. When aged only two she won the first of her, to date, four first prizes at children's national art exhibitions. And when she was aged four, her works were exhibited in Spain.

Yangchun Baixue is now earning increasing recognition among artists and galleries in Beijing. Observed young painter Zheng Xuewu: "Any child can grab a pencil and scribble, but Yangchun Baixue creates art. A talent is a talent. I don't think her parents have any influence on her work because their styles are different, though they may provide guidance." Baixue says it takes her between a few days and a week to finish a painting.

Her father said: "She surprises me. Her natural talent is excellent. But how do you explain it? It's like God has come out of the sky to give her talent."

He and his wife allow their daughter to do virtually anything she likes at home, though unlike the overwhelming majority of Chinese parents they do not plan to send her to school. Instead she stays at home to paint, read, dance, make up stories or play with her father.

"Basically, there are no limits," said her father. "We give her freedom and allow her to develop. Actually I feel there are very few things that I can teach her now. In painting, I just gave her any necessary assistance. Although she is only six, I already feel her incredible potential."

Baixue is treated like an adult in the family, even to the extent of sometimes discussing philosophical questions with her parents matters such as life and death. What does her mother have to say? "We are like good friends ..."