To the Forefront is among the pieces created by artist Hu Yichuan on show at the ongoing exhibition that marks the 110th anniversary of Hu's birth at the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Hu's many works often reflect the plight of farmers and the working class in cities and document the course of the Chinese people seeking national independence and fighting injustice. He was deeply influenced by the expressionist movement and especially by German artist Kathe Kollwitz.

Fan Di'an, dean of the Central Academy of Fine Arts, says Hu's continuous care for the most underprivileged was "deeply rooted in his heart, for he himself was one of them".