Late realism artist Xin Dongwang once said, "I hope that my paintings would embrace a humanistic spirit. I hope that my paintings would show the temperament of my nation". The painter, with humble beginnings, endeavored to become a leading portrait artist. His early experiences drove him to portray people at the grassroots. His works profile the richness and subtlety of people's emotions in an ever-changing time.

The Ordinary World, an exhibition now underway at the Art Museum of China Academy of Art, in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, pays tribute to Xin whose artistic accomplishments provide the insights of a sociologist, a historian and sometimes a psychologist. It runs until March 31.

Xin was born in rural Hebei province. He learned painting from an early age, and continued to hone his skills while teaching in schools in Shanxi province. He passed away in 2014 at the age of 51. He was then a professor of the Academy of Arts and Design, Tsinghua University.

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