In 1974, “No Name Group” held its first underground art exhibition, Ma was one of the participating artists. He also played an important role when the art group held its first public exhibition in 1979. In the late 1980s, he travelled around Europe before moving to the United States. It was only 20 years later that he returned to China to continue making abstract works. The artist reduced the impression of a landscape to a loose pattern of limited sets of colours. As one of the few artists who carried out such a practice at that time in China, he didn’t want or have to draw any references from a commonly shared reality. The pure existence of his canvas and his oil paint was the reality he was interested in. Within these limitations, he found the boundless world of universal abstraction. In his recent series titled Ada, the paintings are free from meaning, interpretation, responsibilities, established artistic criteria, and Western-Oriental controversy; instead, they are infused with individualism. 

Ma states, “I will tell you what abstract art is in the wilderness. This painting of mine is about light, a kind of blinding light.” 

Recent solo exhibitions include Time, Scenery, Light and Life 1972–1984 / Sacrifice of the Spring (2020), Platform China Contemporary Art Institute, Beijing, China; Self-STATEMENT (2019), Platform China Contemporary Art Institute, Beijing, China; and Ma Kelu’s Solo Exhibition (2016), LinBART Gallery, Shanghai, China.