Gao Qipei (高其佩, 1660–1734), a pioneering painter of the early Qing dynasty, is celebrated as the foremost master of Chinese finger painting (指畫). Born into a Manchu family serving the imperial government, Gao pursued painting alongside his official duties, transforming a previously minor practice into a fully developed artistic language. Using fingers, fingernails, and the palm in place of the brush, he created bold textures, flowing washes, and expressive structural lines. The technique became closely associated with the Gao family, whose members continued to practice and transmit it, and was later codified in the Zhitou huashuo (《指頭畫說》), Treatise on Finger Painting), compiled in 1771 by his grandson Gao Bing (高秉). This work preserved the theory and techniques of finger painting, ensuring the family’s artistic legacy.

Gao’s finger painting exemplifies the integration of bodily gesture, improvisation, and calligraphic sensibility, offering a dynamic alternative to brush-based practice. Its immediacy and spontaneity align with Zen (禪) principles, emphasizing direct perception and the inseparability of body, mind, and mark-making. Each sweeping gesture records both the artist’s mental and physical state, transforming painting into a meditative, kinesthetic practice. From a global perspective, his method resonates with modern explorations of gesture and physicality, such as Abstract Expressionism, where process, rhythm, and the body itself become central to artistic meaning. Through his innovative approach, Gao Qipei elevated finger painting from novelty to a respected form of literati expression, expanding the expressive possibilities of ink and securing its enduring place in the history of Chinese art.

高其佩（1660-1734）出身於滿洲官宦世家，在清廷處理政務之餘潛心作畫，將原本屬於小道邊緣的技法，轉化為一種發展完備的藝術語言。他以手指、指甲和手掌代替傳統毛筆，創造出粗獷奔放的肌理、流暢的暈染以及極具表現力的結構線條。 這項技法隨後與高氏家族密不可分，其家族成員不僅持續實踐與傳承，更由其孫高秉於 1771 年編纂出《指頭畫說》加以規範總結。這部著作保存了指畫的理論與技法，確保了高氏家族的藝術遺產得以延續。

高其佩的指畫展現了肢體動作、即興創作與書法意趣的完美融合，為傳統毛筆作畫提供了一種充滿動能的替代方案。其即時性與自發性與「禪」的理念相契合，強調直接的感知，以及身、心與筆跡之間不可分割的關聯。每一次揮灑的動作，都記錄下藝術家當下的心理與生理狀態，將繪畫昇華為一種具備冥想性質的動覺實踐。從全球藝術史的視角來看，他的創作手法與現代藝術中對姿態和身體性的探索（如抽象表現主義）產生了深度的共鳴；在這些探索中，創作過程、韻律以及身體本身，皆成為藝術意義的核心。透過這種創新的手法，高其佩將指畫從一種新奇的技藝，提升為備受尊崇的文人表達形式，不僅拓展了水墨的表現潛力，更奠定了指畫在中國藝術史上歷久彌新的地位。