Lin Feng's ink paintings mostly reveal the lives and culture of Chinese ethnic groups. Photo provided to China Daily

Lin seems to have the magical power to convey people by drawing simple lines in ink on paper, Fan says.

After graduating from an art academy in southern Fujian's Xiamen in 1961, Lin, who was then 23, went to Xinjiang, hoping to learn from Huang Zhou, a master Chinese painter.

It took Lin 27 days on trains and buses to reach Xinjiang, which was a remote place at the time.

Lin, however, was warmly welcomed by Uygur, Kazak and other local ethnic groups. Because Lin was unable to speak any local language, many people volunteered to translate for him. They took melons to the artist so that he could eat while painting. Young girls waited in line to be his models for portraits.

"I could paint as many as 80 sketches in a single day then," recalls Lin, adding that he was charmed by the passion and vigor of the ethnic groups.

Lin was so fascinated with the bright and colorful scenery and the people, he decided to stay on in Xinjiang.

Many other artists have failed to capture the real essence of the place and its people through paintings, Lin says. The facial features of Uygur women in artworks, for example, are often not quite right, he says.