Chinese artist Xu Kaide is often called by a nickname that means "bamboo mania," reflecting the 66-year-old painter's favorite theme.

The artist spent the summer in Minhang preparing to participate in various exhibitions in Shanghai. Not his own. Despite three decades of artworks, Xu has never held a personal exhibition. He said he's saving that event for when he turns 70.

"I think I'm still in the study phase," Xu said humbly. "I expect to be turning in my final 'exam paper' in the next few years."

Xu was no artistic prodigy. He worked as an engineering manager and didn't take up the brush until his mid-30s.

When he did begin painting, Xu's mentor was Tang Yun (1910-93), one of the most highly praised artists of modern China. Xu was his last student, and the influence of the old master has shadowed him through his artistic career.

"Tang's daughter was one of my elementary school teachers," he said, "so I had known my mentor since I was a child. But somehow, I never thought of learning Chinese painting until the mid-1980s, after I had a conversation with a calligrapher named Hong Pimo. He inspired my interest, so naturally, I turned to Tang to ask him for his help."

Tang told Xu to practice calligraphy for three years first and then he would decide about becoming his mentor. After just two years, the master took him on.

"He told me he was testing me to see if I was serious and if I had perseverance," Xu said of the calligraphy years. "Apparently I passed the test."

Tang also told Xu that since he was starting out later in life, he should try to focus on one theme rather than trying to do a bit of everything.

Xu chose bamboo.

Tang told him that all art originates in real life, no matter if the theme is birds, insects, flowers or bamboo. Without close observation of life, even the most exquisite artistic skill will ring false.

"Tang called such practitioners 'layman artists' and told me not to become one," said Xu.

So Xu frequented bamboo forests to observe the plants in all their various states: bamboo in sunshine, in moonlight, in rain and in the snow. Each set of circumstances displayed bamboo in an entirely different context. Xu found them all fascinating.

In his body of work, Xu used different shades of ink to depict bamboo, either in forested scenes or in the close-ups of single branches.

One day of 1992, Xu took 10 of his bamboo paintings to show Tang. His mentor said they were good enough to warrant an exhibition.

Other Chinese painting masters also praised Xu's work.

Artist Xie Zhiliu (1910-97) said Xu's paintings embodied the influence of Tang while displaying their own originality. "He is doing so well," Xie commented.

Xu, however, remained modest. He said he had a lot more to learn and continued his work. For the past 20 years, he has never stopped painting bamboo.

Xu and Tang became quite good friends in life as well as in art. Tang often visited Qibao, where he and Xu liked to sit and chat, while eating the famous local specialty glutinous dumplings.

Xu is quite knowledgeable about the best dumplings, choosy about the kind of rice flour used for the wrappers and what constitutes the tastiest fillings.

Tang brought other artists to the town to sample Xu's dumplings, which he described as the best in Shanghai.

In 1993, suffering from heart disease, Tang’s health deteriorated. In September that year, he painted his last work, a lotus to be transcribed onto a clay teapot.

Just before he entered hospital for the last time, Tang gave the lotus painting and his pet cricket to Xu. He died not long after. Xu grieved his loss.

The lotus was carved onto a pot by Shen Juechu, a Chinese painting and sculpture master. Xu considers it his most prized possession.

Xu has never forgotten the guidance and advice of his mentor. He spent three years copying 100 of Tang's paintings "as practice." He did intensive study of painting theories and created some new works.

"All my study and work is a tribute, a sort of thank-you note, to my mentor," he said.