Xu Hong Fei is part of the first generation of Chinese sculptors to grow up during the Cultural Revolution and come of age under Deng Xiaoping. Thus, he is a contemporary of the so-called Big Four of Chinese painters. However, rather than play to the crowd, like many other Chinese artists of his generation, and beat on the dead horse that is the cultural revolution, Xu Hong Fei has found his own footing, in contemporary art with an international appeal.
Chubby women have been the focus of art for artists, from Rubens to Fellini. Their voluptuous bodies and their intrinsic sensuality have provided the fodder for many an artist’s creative outlets. Xu, himself, says that he finds chubby women both exciting and fun. Thus, he created his chubby series with voluptuous women in all kinds of modern situations, having fun doing the most unexpected things. He also often includes tall, skinny women, in his sculptures, for contrast. In 2010, a number of his sculptures featured voluptuous women doing sports, such as tennis, polo and baseball, in honor of the Guangzhou Asia Games. From music to dance to sports to purely fun situations, the subjects of his sculptures are always appealing.
He got his degree in sculpture, in 1990, from the famed Guangzhou Academy of Fine Art, which has been at the forefront of modern Chinese art and has had many great sculptors on its staff, including Pan He and Liang Cheng Ming. In fact, we hear that he also went to another sculptor, Cao Chong En, whose work we feature in our gallery, to learn how to sculpt, in marble. He usually puts his women in short, frilly dresses, the details of which show the marks of a true craftsman, and he produces many of those sculpture, in white marble, which shows his ability as an sculptor. Moreover, Xu’s sculptures, unlike many others, which are simply lifeless statues of people, are full of life and movement, not to mention creativity. He gives the subjects, in his sculptures, a sense of lightness and grace.
As for the man, you would never guess that it was he, who created his art, as his always-cool, serious exterior makes the perfect straight-man to his interesting and fun creations. His work has gained much recognition, both, in China and abroad, and larger versions of his sculptures can be found in major cities around China. We are pleased to add the work of this fine artist with a different take on contemporary life to the Leona Craig Art Gallery, in Guangzhou, China
