Taipei, Dec. 9 (CNA) Culture Minister Cheng Li-chiun on Monday mourned the death of award-winning comic book artist Hsu Mao-sung, who passed away on Saturday.

Hsu died of heart failure at his home in New Taipei, according to his family. He was 82.

"Hsu created throughout his life and was an inspiration to younger generations," Cheng said in a statement released by the Ministry of Culture.

In a career that spanned six decades, Hsu made a name for himself in the 1960s with his martial arts comics, but he turned to religious comics later in his life.

His final masterpiece was a 760-page hand-drawn comic book about the life of Buddha, which took 10 years to complete.

In 2017, Hsu was honored with a Special Contribution Award at the Golden Comic Awards for his contribution to Taiwan's comics industry.