TWO artists living 5,000 miles apart have collaborated to stage an exhibition in the Lake District.

Lancashire-based Ingrid Christie and Chinese artist Fu Zi met in Beijing for the first time in 2015, with neither artist able to speak the other's language.

The only way they could communicate for an entire month was through painting.

Now the pair are featured together in Exchanging Views, which opens at John Ruskin's former home, Brantwood, in Coniston, on Saturday April 29.

Featuring traditional Chinese landscape painting, some of the oldest traditions in art, it is a highly-innovative showcase of different techniques and cultures.

It will be the first time Fu Zi has exhibited outside of China. He says: "I am not interested in politics or the commercial world; painting and my family are the backbone of my life.

"My paintings express a desire for the traditional Chinese culture of harmony between man and nature, which is not simply a thought but a state of being.

"During the cultural exchange, Ingrid and I learned a great deal from one another. One helpful aspect for me, was remembering the good habit of keeping a sketchbook. Sharing our working practices without using language really does show the power of painting to communicate beyond words."

The initial meeting in Beijing was arranged by Li Rui, director of international collection Dong Xi Stories. The pair traded tips and techniques.

Ingrid says: "In China I learned a great deal about the Eastern approach to painting; how landscape painters from the Song Dynasty period were interested in art that went beyond the appearance of forms, capturing the spirit of place and fleeting moments in time.

"Fu Zi taught me to slow down, to connect the head, hand and heart, which is exactly what John Ruskin articulated about the process of painting.

"Although Fu Zi and I were unable to communicate verbally, painting provided a bridge that transcended the need for language."

Brantwood director Howard Hull adds: "The Chinese landscape art tradition is the oldest and most sophisticated landscape tradition in the history of art.

"Contemporary Chinese artists are reclaiming this heritage in exciting and highly innovative ways. We are privileged to be hosting Fu Zi’s first exhibition outside of China and especially excited that the project involves a collaboration with local artist Ingrid Christie."

Exchanging Views is on display in the Blue Gallery and the Severn Studio at Brantwood, from Saturday April 29 to Sunday June 11.

The gallery is open every day from 10.30am to 5.00pm, and admission is included in the house or garden ticket.