A painting by Wei Jiangfan [Photo/China.org.cn]

The art community, its enthusiasts and critics alike, is celebrating the release of a new album of the collection of artworks by traditional Chinese paintings master, Wei Jiangfan.

The art book, featuring some of the contemporary master's best ink strokes, was launched at the Art Museum of Beijing Fine Art Academy on Feb. 23.

Born in 1922, Wei is known as the greatest master of drawing horses in the contemporary era. He is a native of Shaanxi Province in northwestern China and grew up in a poor family. He was once financially supported by the famous Chinese artist Xu Beihong (1895-1953) and became one of Xu's best students.

"Although Master Wei is 90 years old, he is still putting all his efforts on figuring out new ways of creating artwork," said former Vice Minister of Culture Zheng Xinmiao at the album issuing press briefing on Thursday.

"He doesn't care about fame or fortune and devotes all his attention to the art. It is the spirit that we need in this fast-developing era." Zhang said.

"Master Wei really cares about the healthy development of the younger generation of artists and encourages us a lot in our way of pursuing the true spirit of art," Wang Mingming, dean of Beijing Fine Art Academy and vice chairman of the Chinese Artists Association, said.

Echoing Wang's words, Shao Dazhen, a veteran art historian, called on society and especially people in artistic circles to sort out and protect artists' works as soon as possible.

Wei has never held a public exhibition of his works, but will host the first one next year, according to Wang Gangqing, direct of the Fine Arts Department of the Capital Normal University. Many of Wei's landscape, portrait and animal paintings will be presented to the public for the first time, Wang added.