Sculpting the souls

In the mid-1990s, Wu got the opportunity to further study art in several European countries and the United States. His experiences abroad helped enormously in developing his craft.

"My career really took off after I returned from abroad," he said.

Wu once saw a sculpture created by a 100-year-old man in Spain. He immediately recognized it was Christopher Columbus discovering the new continent now known as North America even though he was too far away to clearly see his countenance. It was the dynamic outline that made it so distinctive, he said.

He eventually developed a new style of "freehand and expressive sculpture" by putting more emphasis on the "essence" of sculpted figures than their facial appearances.

"Sculptures should be made between resemblance and expression," said Wu, who was wearing a jacket displaying Chinese traditional decoration.

Since 1996, Wu has held exhibitions in Europe, the United States, Japan, Korea and many other countries.

Having garnered so much glamour on the international stage, Wu now feels an obligation to boost the development of sculpture domestically.

The artist is helping to develop regional sculpting art and the planning and creation of landmark sculptures, helping to raise art awareness in many Chinese cities.

In Qingdao, a coastal city in East China's Shandong province, Wu helped to found the sub-branch of the Chinese National Academy of Sculpture (CNAS) last year.

Situated on the beautiful coastline, the school has become a popular place for sculpture lovers. Many sculpture exhibitions and lectures are held there.

One recent event was an exhibition of Chinese modern sculpture on March 29. A total of 68 pieces of work from 41 sculptors were put on display.

A sculpture competition for the 2014 Qingdao International Horticultural Exposition will take place there.

Li Qun, Party chief of Qingdao, sees the sculpture park as a business card for the artistic works of the city and will show Qingdao's cultural charm to the world.

Despite his busy schedule regarding a variety of projects, Wu spares at least half of his working time on his own creations.

"Clay is always at hand as my mind flows," Wu said. "It is my most intimate friend."

Despite sculpting so many famous historical figures, Wu does not plan to make a sculpture of himself.

"When I am creating my works, they are also sculpting my life in return," he said.

"Imagine that when I get very old, all my work stands there like a forest. My body and soul will have already been carved within every piece."