Nantong artist Yuan Yunsheng. [Photo/Nantong Daily]

Yuan Yunsheng, an artist born in Nantong, East China's Jiangsu province, recently kicked off an individual exhibition at the Art Gallery of the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing.

It is the first time that he has held a retrospective mural exhibition at his alma mater.

The exhibition, which will run until Oct 15, is showcasing more than 80 murals that connect Yuan's art history and present his unique thinking about art.

A person takes a photo of Yuan's work at the individual exhibition. [Photo/Nantong Daily]

His first rough sketch for the mural Memories of Water Town comes from his memories of Nantong, his first mural Water-Sprinkling Festival – Hymn to Life expresses his longing for freedom and a happy life and the courage to fight against diseases and disasters, and his largest work Riding the Wave conveys his attitude towards life.

Dream of murals has been the core subject of his creations. In his mind, murals are not just a type of painting, but are capable of triggering and reviving the huge energy in traditional Chinese culture.

Memories of Water Town. [Photo/Nantong Daily]

"Ever since my father returned to China from the US in 1996, he has been dedicated to studying and promoting ancient Chinese formative arts," said Yuan. "He has in recent years brought us to visit different places to reconstruct a teaching system for Chinese higher art education."

Yuan noted that traditional Chinese culture is a priceless treasure for him and is the source of artistic spirit and language.

Riding the Wave. [Photo/Nantong Daily]