Different uses of ink are common in Shang Tao’s works, while his composition is that of simplicity and dignity. At a glance, there seems to be too little glamour and too much awkwardness. Yet this is exactly this kind of “awkwardness” that renders Shang’s art so estimable and outstanding. We may say “awkwardness” is the essence in Shang’s art of calligraphy and painting. He is such a serious artist that he has not been prolific, but his works have been displayed in various exhibitions and have gained him various awards. As works of art students, only Shang Tao’s and those of Jia Youfu’s had ever been selected and become exhibits in the Li Keran Memorial Museum. “The spirit of the most awkward, the style of the grandest.” There is always an overwhelming sense of sincerity, emotions and charm in Shang Tao’s calligraphy and painting.