(Yicai) Aug. 19 -- Fan Zeng, 87, has been trapped in a major family conflict involving the well-known contemporary Chinese painter and calligrapher's new 37-year-old wife and several of his children.

On Aug. 16, Fan Xiaohui, the artist's daughter from his second marriage, said online that she lost contact with her father after his fourth wife Xu Meng, a former model he married in April last year, took him away from his home about a month ago, along with many valuable artworks while firing some of the staff at the residents.

Later on the same day, Fan Zeng's stepson from his third marriage, Fan Yifu, posted several photos of the painter at an art exhibition in response to Fan Xiaohui's claims. However, there was no proof when the photos were taken.

The issue was caused by "the infighting between two groups in Fan Zeng's family," an art investor told Yicai.

Besides the dispute, there are other signs that Fan's family is selling his assets for profit. Fan Zeng Artwork recently sold calligraphy, paintings, and other artworks via a livestreaming account on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, raking in more than CNY1 million (USD139,300) over the past month, according to Red Star News.

Established in 2021, Fan Zeng Artwork is controlled by Fan Zhongda, another of Fan Zeng's stepsons, who owns 60 percent of the company, while the painter only holds a 1 percent stake, according to data on corporate information platform Tianyancha.

Fan Zeng graduated from the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing in 1962 and has released over 200 paintings, calligraphy, and essay collections. His titles include tenured researcher at the Chinese National Academy of Arts and honorary president of the National Museum of China's Institute of Calligraphy and Chinese Painting.

Editors: Dou Shicong, Martin Kadiev