His fine brushwork reflecting the emotions of the migrant generation reached the hearts of the juries of the 14th National Exhibition of Fine Arts, organized by the China Artists Association, who awarded the piece a gold prize.

Held every five years since 1949, the National Exhibition of Fine Arts gives a panoramic view of fine art and design in the country.

This year, it returned to the National Art Museum of China and National Museum of China, where prizewinning works such as Shen's Golden Land and various other entries are on display until Oct 24.

Works displayed include paintings, sculptures, prints, installations, animations, mixed-media and graphic and industrial designs to show an intensified integration of art and technology.

They exhibit how art has been applied to transform people's lives, such as uniforms for Chinese astronauts and the visual designs — graphics and color systems — for the 19th Asian Games held in Hangzhou in 2022.

Depicting the greatness of ordinary people and hailing their spirit is at the core of the National Exhibition of Fine Arts, says Fan Di'an, chairman of the China Artists Association.

He says that focusing on people offers a vivid life portrayal in the works selected for the exhibition — those who engage in poverty alleviation, rural vitalization, environmental protection and major national construction projects.

Fan adds that on a microcosmic level, people can reflect on the past five years' historic moments, such as the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China and the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, to feel the spirit of China and the country's empowered people.