Heaven, Earth and Living Creatures, an exhibition at the National Art Museum of China which runs through Sept 21 in Beijing, brings together more than 120 of Fang's paintings, sketches and drafts, stretching back decades.

NAMOC director Wu Weishan says: "The mountain-and-water genre of classical Chinese paintings show people's philosophical take on the universe, the figure paintings express a pursuit of high morality, and the flower-and-bird genre reflects views on life and death."

Wu says that, therefore, a celebration of all living beings is at the core of Fang's creation, and while depicting the real world, he leverages the physical existence of the lives he captures to a spiritual height.

Fang says that a book of selected paintings by modern master Qi Baishi, which he received from relatives, ignited his interest in shuimo-or ink wash-art. A small child, he began to learn the technique. He graduated from Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts and began teaching at his alma mater, before being sent to Beijing and Tianjin for further artistic accumulation, being instructed by prominent figures such as Li Keran and Li Kuchan.