Time traveler in China

His years of writing about the country have cemented a reputation as someone with a fine eye for detail, a strong grasp of Chinese history and an appreciation of traditional art, with two forms receiving particular attention. "I enjoy reading about all aspects of Chinese art, but my focus is mostly on woodblocks and folk embroideries," he says.

Leffman's introduction to China came in a roundabout way as a teenager in his native United Kingdom.

"In 1980, I was doing a course in history of art, and I needed a special study topic for a 'thesis'. I came across Japanese woodblock prints at an exhibition at Bristol University, and was so fascinated by their aesthetic — which is completely different to European art — that I taught myself to cut and print woodblocks. It was 1995 before I discovered that the process had actually been invented in China and the Japanese had simply borrowed the techniques. From that point on, I began collecting the prints," he recalls.