Liu pursued a master's degree in classic Chinese painting at the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing in the late 1970s. He says he was lucky to have been able to attend classes held by four out of the five artists being honored.

"They were in their late 60s and early 70s. They were not in good physical condition, after living a life of decades of social instability and material shortages.

But they insisted on giving classes every Saturday and Sunday," he recalls.

Fan Di'an, the dean of the Central Academy of Fine Arts, says the artists also extended their explorations in art to a broader platform that benefited the greater public. For example, all the artists were involved in feature-length animations, mural projects in public places and industrial design.