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Chinese sculpture has experienced further development since the Revolution of 1911. Its dissemination and promotion achieved prominent progress.

After the 20^th Century, Chinese traditional religious sculpture was on the wane. Though the small folk sculpture was still very flourish, it failed to be the mainstream. During the years around the Revolution of 1911, some young people went to Britain, America, Japan and other foreign countries to learn sculpture. During the period between the May 4^th Movement (1919) and the 1930s, many young artists went to foreign countries such as Canada, France, Japan and Belgium learning sculpture. After returning home, they held several sculpture exhibitions, which greatly promoted the development of Chinese on-the-shelf sculpture. Most of them, who devoted themselves to art education, became pioneers of Chinese modern sculpture. Sculpture education in Chinese academy of fine arts began in 1920 when Sculpture Department was established in Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts, followed by Hangzhou Academy of Fine Arts and Beiping Academy of Fine Arts, etc. Some large creations include statues in memory of Sun Yat-Sen and other republic revolutionists, as well as monument to heroes in War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1937-1945), and so on. Sculpture art has greatly developed since the establishment of People’s Republic of China. Sculpture Department was common in art colleges and students, including graduates, were sent to the Soviet Union to study sculpture.

 On-the-Shelf Sculpture

During the 1920s to 1940s, a good number of statues appeared in various exhibitions, combined with lyrical works and a few relieves. Li Tiefu, who learnt sculpture and oil painting in America, and another two artists called Liang Zhuting and Chen Xijun, created statues of Sun Yat-Sen respectively. After the establishment of People’s Republic of China, on-the-shelf sculpture made new progress. Wood, stone, bronze and other hard materials were in wide use and the probe into sculpture language also made prominent achievement.

 Large Memorial Sculpture and Garden Sculpture

The earliest memorial sculpture is the Statue of Shi Jianru created during early years of the Republic of China. After 1925 when Sun Yat-Sen died, many memorial statues of him were created in Guangzhou, Beijing, Wuhan, Chengdu, Nanjing and other cities, among which the earliest one was the Statue of Sun Yat-Sen by Jiang Xiaojian established in the center of Shanghai in Nov. 1925. A public appraisal about statues of Sun Yat-Sen was held in 1935, the Sun Yat-Sen Giving Speech, created by Teng Baiye, won the first prize. During that period, sculptors created many memorial statues for republic revolutionists who passed away or devoted their lives in battles.

Monuments in memory of revolutionary martyrs have been established in many places since the establishment of People’s Republic of China, for instance, the Memorial Tower to Revolutionary Martyrs established in 1949 in Linni of Shandong Province, Monument to Soviet Union Martyrs (bronze, by Lu Gongji) established in Dalian of Liaoning Province in 1955, and so on. The most magnificent work in the 1950s is the Monument to People’s Heroes in Tian’anmen Square, Beijing, which was established according to the resolution of the First Plenary Session in Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference held in Sept. 30^th 1949. The construction started in Aug. 1^st 1952 and finished in May 1^st 1958.

 City Environmental Sculpture

In terms of city environmental sculpture, the successful works of early times are the two groups of sculptures in National Agricultural Exhibition Center in Beijing, which were created by the Sculpture Department of Lu Xun Academy of Fine Arts and finished in 1959. Combined with techniques of western sculpture and Chinese traditional sculpture, this group of sculpture manifested Chinese people’s determination to become stronger. Swan by Su Hui, established in Yanjiang Garden of Harbin in 1963, is among the early large garden sculptures.

Some outstanding works successfully accommodated to city environment contain Fisher Girl (stone sculpture by Pan He, Duan Jiyu and Duan Qilai, 1982) of Zhuhai on the seashore of Zhuhai City in Guangdong Province, group sculptures called Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter (aluminum alloy, 1984) placed at the end of Chongqing Yangtze River Bridge, Dove of Peace (bronze, by Wang Yilin, 1984) in Heping Li, Beijing, Reading (stone sculpture, by Situ Zhaoguang, 1985) on Zhengyi Road of Beijing, sculpture group Fable (stone sculpture, by Liu Zhengde, 1985) in the East Lake Scenic Spot of Wuhan in Hubei Province, and so on. Group Sculpture called Five Sheeps (stone sculpture, by Yin Jichang, Chen Benzong and Kong Fanwei, 1959) and Ox Led by the Nose (bronze, by Pan He, 1984) in front of the building of Shenzhen municipal Party Committee are regarded as the city’s badge or spiritual symbol of a new-and-developing city.

 Large Sculptures Donated to Foreign Countries

Some important works include Monument to Martyrs of Republic of Djibouti (bronze, in Djibouti People’s Palace, by Li Shouren, 1985), Peace (stone sculpture, in Peace Garden of Nagasaki, by Pan He, Wang Keqing, Guo Qixiang and Cheng Yunxiang), Opening to the World (bronze, in International Olympic Committee in Lausanne, Switzerland, by Tian Jinduo, 1986) and the Statues of Bethune (stone sculpture, in Montreal of Canada, by Situ Jie, 1986).

 Folk Sculpture and Large Clay Sculpture Group

Various branches of folk sculpture flourished in modern times, with many outstanding folk artists emerging. Some famous works include Jiang the Door-God by Zhang Mingshan, the representative of Niren Zhang (Zhang the clay-figure master in Tianjin), Zhong Kui in His Sister’s Wedding by Zhang Yuting, Xichun Painting Picture by Zhang Jinghu, wooden figures by Fan Zhenhua in Nanchang of Jiangxi Province, pottery figures by Liu Chuan in Shiwan of Guangdong Province, pottery animal statues by Ou Qian, wooden head sculpture by Jiang Jiazou in Quanzhou of Fujian Province and dough sculptures by Tang zibo, Liu Shao’an and other people in Beijing. During the 1960s and 1970s, having adopted elements of folk clay sculpture and working with folk artists, some professional sculptors created clay group sculptures about class education, among which the representative is the Yard of Collecting Rent, with 114 clay figures of true-man size. It is an authentic depiction of peasants’ miserable lives before land reform. Besides, sculptures of similar subject were found in some factories and mines.

Being greatly influenced by modern western art, modern Chinese sculpture in the 1980s focused on barbarism and structuralism. The transformation of concept and the application of new materials prepared for later development of sculpture. As to the 1990s, modern sculpture made real major breakthrough, especially the on-the-shelf sculpture that had become the frontier of Chinese visual art.

The prominent progress of Chinese modern sculpture in the 1990s owes to artists’ creation and economic influence. Chinese economy developed rapidly in the 1990s, which stimulate large-scale city construction; hence the development of city sculpture became feasible. Culture level represents economic standards. Memorial and decorative sculptures gave way to more cultural and spiritual public sculptures.

(Source: chinaculture.org)