The Mountain and the Boat in the Fall, ink painting by Ma. [Photo provided to China Daily]

The Beijing native started painting in his teens. He also started to work at a communication company by the time he was 17. He spent all his spare time on ink paintings after work. He tried his best to make friends with master painters, such as Huang Yongyu, and learn from them in person.

"Only when I paint I feel like myself and I feel happy," the artist says.

Li Yanan, a longtime friend of his, says Ma usually uses his ink brush instead of a pen to take notes during meetings.

Ma once ran a telecommunication business and set up a separate painting space at his office.

"We were shocked that he suddenly closed down his business five years ago and said he would devote all his time to Chinese painting," Li says.

In the last five years, Ma has learned different styles from ancient and modern masters, while trying to find his style.

Although he has tried various techniques, the one thing he has stuck to is painting based on ancient skills but with a modern mindset.

He says he is a firm defender of traditional Chinese painting, which both looks good and reflects the painters' inner mind.

"We should have confidence in our own culture and art," says Ma, wearing a Chinese-style jacket and sitting at a tea table.

He likes to read books and ancient Chinese poems. In his studio, there are lots of books on his desks and bookshelves.

"Chinese art emphasizes the cultivation of a person's mind. It needs one's life experience, knowledge of literature and great painting techniques," says Ma, adding that a lifetime is needed to explore such art.