Shu's comments on Wu Shi well summarized his art, which the artist used to address the needs of his country and its people.

Wu Shi's family recently donated more than 100 pieces from his oeuvre to the National Museum of China. And they are on show at the exhibition, Flames of Art, at the museum through Oct 13.

Wu Shi, who was born with the name Feng Zishu in Hunan province, received formal training in art in Shanghai in the early 1930s. In 1943, he joined the New Fourth Army, which was led by the Communist Party of China. As he fought for his nation, he created prints to show the livelihoods of the people and to encourage them.

He produced a body of work in the 1930s and '40s that encouraged people to stand up to the Japanese invaders and to fight for national independence.