Purely artistic

While there are varieties of schools among artists, and those who develop new fashions, Huo said they all have something in common that links them from within.

"The various styles are expressions of the cultivation deep inside the heart," he said. "They must be delivered in a natural way.

"To develop a style in the art, you must first be perceptive, then rational, and come back to perceptual in the end - first simple, then complex, and then back to simple again. That is actually the way everything develops."

Huo has made innovations in drawing. One example is the techniques to draw lotus leaves, a popular subject in traditional Chinese painting. Instead of using large areas of ink, he resorts to the combination of dots and curved lines.

While innovation is encouraged today, Huo said that some traditions must be kept so that one can be earnest enough to pursuit the real nature of art and culture.

"Things change on the surface, but in nature, they are the same," he said.

He noted that traditions should not be regarded as constraints, or something decayed, but instead great fortune. "It requires sincerity to hand the traditions down, to achieve a world of freedom in the mind.

"Art can purify people's hearts, and an artist must purify the heart of himself in the first place," he said. "Only when you get rid of all distracting thoughts can you create truly great works."