Judged by the artist's painting technique, "The Young Couple" is far from being the best of hundreds of oil paintings selected from across the country.

"The Young Couple" by Li Jieping [zt.cnhubei.com]

However, to the surprise of many, "The Young Couple" won the gold medal for oil painting at the 11th National Exhibition of Fine Arts, the most prestigious fine arts competition in China.

The excellence of the painting lies in its innovative concept, which was highly praised at this year's national exhibition.

The painting, a dark horse entry in the artistic sweepstakes, depicts a young couple from the second generation of Chinese migrant workers. They are seen building a wall, while looking directly at the viewer, as if contemplating a bright future.

"The Young Couple" differs from similar artworks with the same theme, which usually emphasize the miserable living conditions of migrant workers.

The painting conveys a bright moment of hope during their workday.

The bright red color of their faces and green stripes on the husband's shirt evoke a sense of peacefulness that rarely appears in artworks depicting migrant workers.

"It is the tranquility and a slight sense of happiness on the young couple's face that moved us most," explained Liu Dawei, chairman of the Chinese Artists Association, saying no matter which painting technique is emphasized, the most important quality of a prize-winning work is whether it moves people emotionally.

The exhibition, initiated in 1949 and held once every five years, is the largest feast for art lovers in China, with judges handing out awards to a variety of distinguished fine-art works.

To some extent, the awards signal acceptance of creative trends for the near future. It took more than one year to select and evaluate the artworks before raising the curtain on the exhibition at the National Art Museum of China.

More than 500 pieces are on show, among which 149 were awarded gold, silver and bronze prizes in 10 categories, including Chinese ink painting, oil painting, engraving, sculpture, murals, watercolor and pastel drawings.

Together, this smorgasbord of artistic tastes offers gallery-goers a panoramic view of China's art scene.

The grand exhibition appraises fresh ideas and pays close attention to social reality, according to Yang Xiaoyang, president of the China National Academy of Painting.