QIU DESHU (1948 –). 仇德树 Untitled, Ink and colour on paper, 112 x 72cm. Executed in the early 1990s. Born in Shanghai, Qiu Deshu developed a method of artmaking he called “fissuring”, which involves using traditional Chinese mounting techniques to build up layers of paper, which are painted with ink. This piece is a rare early example of the technique. He is best known for founding the Caocao (Grass Grass) Group. He is profiled in Joan Lebold Cohen (1987) in her landmark book The New Chinese Painting: 1949-1986 who tentatively describes him as “the outstanding painter and theoretician of his generation”. (112 x 72cm.)