Abstract
A leading figure in modern/contemporary ink painting, Liu Kuo-sung (Liu Guosong) is best known for innovative techniques with tools other than the brush. He is often identified as an artist from Taiwan, but in fact his footprints and legacy span the Sinophone world, including mainland China and Hong Kong. In this article, Liu's lesser-known but critical period in Hong Kong in the 1970s to early 1990s is examined in relation to the postwar debates that led to the term guohua (national painting) being replaced by shuimohua (ink painting).