Born into a family of high social status in Tianjin, Xiao Shufang (1911-2005) was brought up to be an independent, confident and versatile woman thanks to the education she received.

She studied at the College of Arts at the National Beijing University (now the Central Academy of Fine Arts). She lived in Europe for nearly four years, being exposed to the cultural traditions and art movements there. She was also an accomplished ice skater and won first prize in figure skating at the North China Games in 1935.

Xiao devoted decades of her life to revolutionizing art and teaching Chinese art. She was a professor of the Central Academy of Fine Arts.

An exhibition at the National Art Museum of China shows dozens of Xiao's paintings through Thursday. It sheds light on her lifelong love of flowers and through her own depictions.