Artist tackles weighty issue

Exhibition highlights large women enjoying a sense of liberation, Lin Qi reports.

At a time when people often have anxieties over their body shape and social image, Xu Hongfei, an eminent sculptor from Guangzhou, Guangdong province, tries to soothe this collective distress by revisiting the distinctive image of large women in his work.

Xu's depiction of these chubby, yet flexible and joyful women bears testimony to embracing an easygoing, humorous attitude toward life and living with a free spirit, disregarding what others might say about them or their way of life.

The "fat women" sculptures have been shown across the world since 2013, often in public places, touring Sydney, Paris, Florence, London and Berlin, to name just a few major cities, and inspiring joy among people of different cultures and ages.

Now dozens of these statues that offer a review of Xu's career, which spans more than three decades, are on show at his solo exhibition, Following the Notes, running until July 21 at the National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing.