Li Keran (1907-89), whose landscapes are on display, spearheaded this movement and traveled extensively in the 1950s to look for new ways of Chinese painting.

"Many times he walked out of the studio loaded with tools and went deep into nature and the lives of people, to see the realities and listen to what people said about the changes in their lives," says Liu Ying, who chairs the board of the Li Keran Art Foundation. "And in such an immersive environment, he created strokes, shades and compositions different from the past."

The spirit to step out of the comfort zone was shared by Yang Gang (1946-2019), whose paintings on display — depictions of ice skaters — reveal that he explored a modern minimalist tendency.

He infused the formalist and abstract styles of modern Western art with the xieyi (presenting the spirit) approach of Chinese painting and calligraphy, demonstrating a modern touch and spirituality.

Wang Ning, president of the National Centre for the Performing Arts, says the exhibition allows the audience to feel the transformations of social and cultural scenarios throughout the decades, which have been documented by artists in their efforts to modernize Chinese art.