"Calligraphers cannot isolate themselves from the outside world to create. They should feel gratitude for the times, show awe and respect to traditional culture and care for people," said Yan, who is also serving as a member of Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the national advisory body, and attends the ongoing annual meeting in Beijing.
He created scrolls titled as "My Chinese Heart" for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and "City Makes Life Better" for the 2010 Shanghai World Expo.
His creation of "Eulogy to Sports" displayed at the 2012 London Olympics won international acclaim.
Using the typical traditional Eastern art to popularize the spirits of the Olympics and peace showcased the charm of Chinese culture and the value of calligraphy, critics said.
Yan has promoted cultural exchanges in such nations as the United States, France, Brazil and Japan.
He also held a special show at the United Nations headquarters on its first "Chinese Day" in November 2010.
Displayed at more than 500 national and international exhibitions, his paintings have been collected in some 100 art museums in China and abroad, including the National Museum of China and the National Art Museum of China.
And they are also on show at the central government complex Zhongnanhai and the Great Hall of the People, where Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and the National People's Congress take place.
Philosophy, history, literature and music all provide fertile soil for calligraphy to grow, Yan said. "A calligrapher is not necessarily a scholar but should be a thinking artist."
"A real artist needs academic nourishment, talent and skills, either of which is indispensable," he said. "Yet virtue is the prerequisite to all of these."
Among many titles, Yan also serves as a vice-president of the China Calligraphers Association, a professor with Nanjing University and the chief of the Chinese Calligraphy Research Center of Southeast University.
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