Wan Wing Sum was known for his astonishing ability to write 3000 words within a square inch, the size of a postage stamp. A modern exponent of Chinese Art, he was commissioned by the Free China Government in 1953 to bring an exhibition of Chinese art and calligraphy on a global tour. His reputation grew as his painting abilities garnered attention while his interviews were featured in newspapers and television shows. It was a remarkable feat for a self-made Asian artist to achieve celebrity status, and his exhibitions were recorded to draw in huge crowds. Poetic colours and refined lines were characteristics of his works. The koi, or Japanese carp, is a propitious ornamental fish that can live to more than 50 years. In a pool of koi with a single colour, the one in silvery white with a red-orangey patch stands out. The scene depicts 9 koi fishes, a symbol of prosperity, longevity and good fortune. Dubbed the 'Lynx-Eyed Calligrapher', Professor Wan Wing Sum was skilled in micro-calligraphy, cramming 3,000 characters into a square-inch space of square – a feat he had honed since the age of 12, and at the age of 19 was hailed to have mastered the Lingnan Style. For this prowess, he was awarded the Gold Medal of Arts by China's Ministry of Education. He had shown in more than 100 exhibitions all over the world, including Malaysia, since his first solo in his birthplace in Hong Kong in 1938. His demonstration on calligraphy was recorded in films by Warner Brothers when he visited Hollywood in the 1950s.