The works of Wu Guanzhong (1919-2010) and Zao Wou-Ki, two of Lin's renowned students, are also on show at the exhibition.

Both Wu and Zao studied and lived in Paris in the late 1940s. Wu is famous for fusing Fauvism and Chinese calligraphy, while Zao is known for combining the abstract and expressive styles of modern Western art with rich Chinese cultural traditions.

All these creations afford viewers with a "tradition-centered approach, a new approach among many others, to understanding and interpreting the history of contemporary Chinese art," He said.

As China is still in the throes of achieving deeper globalization, reviving tradition matters even more in terms of establishing our own cultural identity, the curator said.