Teammates is among the pieces created by artist Hu Yichuan on show at the ongoing exhibition that marks the 110th anniversary of Hu's birth at the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Hu grew up in an underdeveloped village in western Fujian province. After his mother died, he joined his father in Indonesia who struggled to make a living by mending watches.

Thanks to the financial support of local Chinese communities, Hu was sent back to China where he attended middle school and later enrolled in the painting department of Hangzhou Fine Art School, now China Academy of Art.

Hu and his schoolmates often traveled to Shanghai to see new art and cultural trends. It was there where they were introduced to the art of woodcut printing by Lu Xun, the noted writer and print collector. He initiated an art movement among young people, encouraging them to make woodcut prints, which didn't cost much money, were easy to make and quick to spread-and therefore convenient to carry revolutionary ideas to the common people.