Li Shugene’s "Drilling" exhibited at the "National Art Exhibition" in 1974 was a blockbuster. Starting from "Drilling", his oil painting creation turned to historical themes under the guidance of the mainstream discourse of the times. From "Yang Gensi" to "Martyr Zhao Yiman" created in 1979, they all praised heroism within the scope of historical themes.

In the new historical period, Li Shuji, like many painters of his contemporaries, was faced with the changes in aesthetics brought about by the demands of the new era. The changes in his life and cultural fields also brought changes in his style and taste. The navigation mark of his creation began to shift from history to style, including the creation of ethnic minorities and his expression of the exotic style of Southeast Asia in the new century, reflecting the overall trend of Chinese oil painting creation at the turn of the century.

In the 50 years of development, Li Shuji’s oil paintings have shifted from profound historical culture to style expression, from national customs to overseas customs, and the language of his oil paintings has shifted from north to south, from gray tones to bright ones. He also increase the influence of Chinese oil painting in the global context, and also provides another type of research case for the development of Chinese oil painting in the 21st century.