An exhibition commemorating the 20th anniversary of the passing of Chen Yifei (1946-2005), one of China's most influential contemporary artists, will open at Jinchen YFM Art Gallery in Shanghai on April 12.

Curated by Chen Yiming, a painter and the younger brother of Chen Yifei, the exhibition will feature 118 artworks by 57 artists, including Chen Yifei himself, as well as his classmates and colleagues.

One of the central figures in the development of oil painting in China, Chen Yifei is regarded as a representative artist of contemporary China and a key contributor to Shanghai's cultural identity, according to Chen Xiejun, former director of the Shanghai Museum.

Four paintings by Chen Yifei will be on display, all created between 1983 and 1984.

Two of them, Early Morning and Backyard Garden, were included in his first major solo exhibition at Hammer Galleries in New York, a milestone in his artistic career.

Speaking to the media on April 8, Chen Yiming shared how his brother proposed the concept of "greater art", and, in his later years, branched out into fashion, publishing and filmmaking.

After returning from a tour in Europe, Chen Yifei was deeply inspired by the Bauhaus design school, Yiming recalled.

"He believed design could improve lives and had great faith in the power of beauty,” he said.

“He passionately advocated for building more beautiful houses, wearing more beautiful clothes, believing that doing so would help create a better society in China. He saw the pursuit of beauty as a social responsibility."

The exhibition will run through May 30.