Tibetan painter Nyima Tsering was awarded the prize of the "2015 Chinese Cultural Figures" in Xi’an on Jan. 6, China News reported.

Having experimented with oil painting, printmaking, sculpting and other art forms, Nyima Tsering concluded that "no success can be achieved if abandoning the mother culture". Since then he has tried to incorporate Chinese and Western artistic elements into traditional Tibetan paintings, forming a new style of art.

"I've been to many Tibetan monasteries and researched Tibetan history and aesthetics, and I realized that the local natural environment has given birth to ethnic aesthetics," Nyima Tsering said. "Because of this, sometimes people can understand an ethnic group when looking at its works of art. Therefore, ethnic characteristics must be upheld."

However, Nyima Tsering also stresses that upholding ethnic characteristics does not mean never changing. "We cannot cling to the tradition."

He said that while carrying on the tradition, one must also understand that this era has undergone many changes. "We should also absorb the good aspects of other cultures. Although success is not guaranteed, we must still try."