Peking Opera mask maker Zhao Yongqi

The craft of making traditional opera masks is unique to China. It can be traced back to the 12th century when the first mask appeared in a Song dynasty opera.

They're also known as the Painted Face, a character from Peking Opera. But the masks can also be appreciated in their own right. Zhao Yongqi is a Beijing-based artist. It was his childhood dream to design, make and sell these opera masks.

Immersed in his own world, it's impossible to disturb Zhao Yongqi.

Each stroke of the brush. Every color. And Zhao turns this piece of plaster into a Peking opera mask.

A touch here, and a touch there. And it's done. A work of art, and one that anybody would be proud to own.

Zhao Yongqi said, "At first I learned to draw Peking opera masks on dried clay molds, but only during my spare time. To make ends meet, I had to take various part-time jobs as a boiler man, a waiter or even as a tailor. But my real interest lay in making opera masks.

Zhao's passion for painting the masks reflects his immersion in Peking Opera.

As a child, he was fascinated by the masks.

Twenty years ago, when he was deciding what to do with his life, he took up the brush without a second thought.

Zhao never went to art school.

But his dedication and the quest for perfection over the years has made him a master.

It takes pinpoint precision to get the colors just right, and in the right place.

The pattern on one cheek should match the other exactly.

Every color has its own meaning. Opera lovers know them by heart.