As she continued to develop confidence and to experiment with different techniques, her style grew even bolder and less traditional. In Japan, she studied painting with noted nihonga artist Matazo Kayama (加山又造 1927-2004), which led to a flourishing of colorful styles and abstract themes — something she could not have produced if she remained within the pure calligraphic traditions of her youth. She continued to expand her range, developing even more abstract works, including color paintings, silk screens, and classic black ink (sumi) artwork. By the age of 40, she had developed an entirely new painting style, one based upon but transcending calligraphic art, which won her considerable acclaim. Biography Early years (-to 1986) Lou began to study calligraphy with her father, Lou De Ping, at the age of three. At twelve, she was recognized by the national government as an "exceptionally gifted child." As a certified child prodigy, she received special permission to enroll years early at the Central Academy of Fine Art, where she was taught by masters of calligraphy and ink painting. In 1980, she won first prize at the National Youth Calligraphy Exhibition in China, and one year later was elected a member of the Chinese Calligrapher’s Association. At the age of 14, she was the youngest-ever participant in the Australian-sponsored International Calligraphy Competition, and at 16 she won the Chinese National Calligraphy Competition. In the mid-1980s, she attended Beijing University. In 1985, Hong Kong TV broadcast a documentary about her life and her work. With the support of her government, she traveled to Japan in 1986 and held her first exhibition there, at the Yaesu Gallery in Tokyo. Twenties (1987-1996) In 1987, she moved to Tokyo. The success of her first exhibition led to a second show, which was sponsored by Television Tokyo and the Chinese Embassy. Other shows soon followed, e.g., at the Sogo Group department store galleries in Yokohama and seven other cities. In 1990, a further series of exhibitions (also sponsored by the Sogo Group) considerably enlarged the circle of her admirers and collectors, leading to the 1991 establishment of the Lou Zhenggang Sponsorship Committee, headed by two former prime ministers (Nakasone and Takeshita), a renowned artist and several leading bankers and industrialists. In 1991, she launched a two-year series of exhibitions held across Japan, entitled "Oriental Melody — Lou Zhenggang Calligraphy and Paintings", sponsored by the Yamaha Group. In 1993, she