Wang Mingming, the dean of Beijing's Central Academy of Fine Arts, says the five artists made great efforts to rejuvenate the core values of Chinese art, during a time of major clashes between Eastern and Western cultures.

He says their work suggests that the expression of the human spirit and genuine emotion matter much more than technique and style, which are often overlooked by artists today.

Liu Dawei, chairman of the China Artists Association, says the five artists are remembered by people not only because of their contributions that laid solid foundations for the Chinese art today, but also because they were all established educators who nourished generations of artists.