Sculpting a legacy

Wu Weishan (right) and Didier Bernheim at the exhibition Heritage Immortal at the National Art Museum of China in December. JIANG DONG/CHINA DAILY

In Vinci, the two bronze sculptures stand outside a museum and library named after the Renaissance man, in front of two olive trees which, Wu says, symbolize peace, friendship and also "a heartfelt dialogue between two great minds and two cultures".

Wu says his work pays tribute to the Renaissance tradition represented by Da Vinci's creations and the value of xieyi (freehand brushwork featuring the bold outlines of images) tradition held dear by Qi. "The dialogue between the East and the West is enduring, because our hearts and minds are connected."

Italian sculptor Antonio di Tommaso, who attended the unveiling ceremony in Vinci, says Wu's work hails Chinese cultural traditions by employing a creative approach to carry on the xieyi style, while infusing it with Western aesthetics.

Despite living on a busy schedule as a national museum's director, Wu says he saves limited time after work for sculpting in his studio. From there, some statues he creates are transported to different countries.

His two sculptures depicting Chinese poet Du Fu and Ukrainian poet Taras Shevchenko were unveiled at the campus of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv in 2017.Two statues of great Chinese philosophers Laozi and Confucius are now on display at the National Art Museum of the Republic of Belarus.

In 2019, Wu created a bronze relief titled Centennial Monument that was placed in the French commune of Montargis. A century ago, some young Chinese had gone there for a work-study program that allowed them to learn techniques to advance their thoughts to empower their home country.