X+Q art at London Design Festival

London's boutique furniture store Squint is more than ever lively on Thursday, as crowds of visitors arrived to see the sculpture collection of Chinese contemporary art brand X+Q.

Those colorful and quirky sculptures of angles, rabbits and Chinese people are showcased as a part of London Design Festival this week, and will remain on sale in Squint for a month.

"We want to showcase the creative energy of Chinese design to an international audience, to make them understand that China is not just a low cost manufacturing hub," said Qu Guangci, who founded X+Q Sculpture Studio with his wife Xiang Jing in 2007.

"X+Q", the two letters representing Xiang and Qu's surnames, translates in Chinese to xiqi, meaning "rare", which fits in with their vision to create some unique products.

But this is Qu and Xiang's second job, as they were both sculpture teachers at the Fine Arts College of Shanghai Normal University before deciding to become full-time artists.

After three years of hard work, X+Q was re-launched as a commercial brand in 2010, and it now has four stores in China.

"Despite our brand's fast growth in China, I think it is important for our brand to break into the international market. Our success would also help Chinese designers to become more confident about their work," Qu explained.

Qu was introduced to the owner of Squint by a contact at the designer label retailing company Lane Crawford, which also sells Squint's furniture in China.

The contact suggested that X+Q's bright-colored sculptures would be a great decoration for Squint's equally colorful furniture, although Squint's creative director Lisa Whatmough said she did not realize the synergy that can be achieved until the sculptures arrived.

"Putting the two together is inspirational. There is a synchronicity of colors. I think we both have similar taste, although our products are obviously very different," Whatmough said.

For example, a white angel sculpture sat on a dark blue table while a bright green rabbit is placed on a dark brown coach. A pink colored angel is hung in the middle of a large mirror decorated with wave-shaped frame. One could easily believe these sets are designed to be put together.

Qu said that he has already sold a female angel sculpture to an Irish customer earlier that morning, for 500 pounds ($811). "This just shows that Chinese design has the potential to be accepted internationally," he explained.

"I hope my sculptures can tell a story to foreign audience about China, and it can help Chinese viewers recollect some of their past memories," he said.

For example, his famous angel sculpture series is inspired by thoughts on the fast developing contemporary Chinese culture and economy.

Another series on rabbits shows a middle aged Chinese man in the Bunny Girl costume mocks the positive image people have for the Playboy rabbit mascot.

Qu said that he will continue to look for opportunities to make X+Q an internationally influential Chinese brand.

Back at home X+Q's customers consist of a large number of Chinese managers who work for international brands. "They understand how difficult it is to grow a new brand, and they've been very supportive of my work," he said.