Chubby Women series sculpture Ride On is on display at the Trent Park Equestrian Centre in London. Photo: Sun Wei/GT

The modern age seems to be an era dominated by slim beauties. Almost everyone is chasing after a lean toned body. On the other hand, Xu Hongfei, a famous Chinese sculptor and current president of the Guangzhou Sculpture Academy, has dedicated his entire life to the worship of chubby women, especially those with joyful and lively personalities. 

"Why is being chubby always associated with ugliness? I want to restore the beauty of their nature," the slim sculptor  sporting a well-styled mustache told the Global Times on November 25 at the Trent Park Equestrian Centre in London, the new home for his creation Ride On. Depicting a chubby woman riding a horse at a galloping pace, the sculpture emphasizes the emotional connection between rider and her mount.

Ride On is one of 15 cheerful Chubby Women sculptures that have been on display near London Bridge since June. Xu has earned considerable popularity for this series, which explores the daily life of people in China in a lively way.

By putting "chubby" and "beauty" together, Xu demonstrates a very different aesthetic taste that challenges the world's definition of beauty. Since his exhibition started its world tour in 2013, he has traveled with his chubby beauties across the globe, with London being one of the many stops along the way. 

Pleasantly plump

Xu is fond of the "simple, ordinary and everyday pleasures" where his Chubby Women find happiness. He depicts these women as joyful, simple, energetic and cultured characters.

Lovers of traditional art and history may notice that his Chubby Women series recalls the heydays of the Tang Dynasty (618-907), when pleasantly plump court ladies were considered the epitome of beauty and were represented everywhere, in paintings, sculpture and poetry.

Xu created his first Chubby Women figure back in 1999, an inspiration he attributes to a visit to his workshop by master artist Huang Yongyu that same year. During the visit Huang was very impressed by one of Xu's newly finished sculptures depicting a very plump woman.

Huang encouraged Xu to keep moving in this direction to express his creativity, and from that moment Xu's fate became forever intertwined with these Chubby Women sculptures.

"My Chubby Women are lively characters with a sense of humor. Most of the time, they tell stories about life, love, and family. These are pleasurable themes, which are universal throughout the world," explained Xu, adding that he views the art of sculpture as a global language able to bridge cultural gaps.

"Sculptures in art galleries tend to be distant and out of reach. I want viewers to get closer to my sculptures and interact with them," Xu said, adding that both the themes and the way he exhibits his statues are very approachable.

All of Xu's works are exhibited outdoors. Starting at the National Art Museum of China in Beijing, his exhibition has traveled through several countries, including Australia, France, Italy, UK and Singapore. Wherever his Chubby Women go, a sea of joy and laughter follow as visitors and tourists touch, imitate and take pictures with these happy figures.

Not wanting to show the same old works all the time, Xu is constantly adding new works to create a refreshing new experience for viewers. Following the exhibition around the globe, Xu has absorbed new elements from the countries he visited which he incorporates into his newest art works.

He created chubby women on bicycles and motorbikes after visiting Italy, and created music related works after he visited France.

His work has been well received. In September, the mayor of Montepulciano in Italy awarded Xu with the city's "Golden Eagle Award" to honor his contribution to cultural exchange. While, in Australia the Sydney city government added his work Foreshore Frolics to its collection of art.  

Bold but reasonable

Some domestic critics have criticized Xu's Chubby Women sculptures as lacking intellectual depth. Harsh critiques such as these do little to faze Xu as he believes that an artist should create works that possess unique personality and reflect the life and culture of the artist through the use of artistic language that can be understood the world over.

Considering his broad range of interests, Xu believes there are many topics he can incorporate into his work such as sports, music, family, love and other aspects of life. He also tends to inject a certain sense of humor about life into his works.

In the end, when it comes to his particular form of art, he just wants viewers to be able to enjoy the sheer happiness that his sculptures project with their natural and simple language.

To accomplish his goals of bringing happiness wherever his sculptures may go, Xu makes use of a wide variety of materials including marble, copper, wood, jade, glass and steel. Each of which he feels enriches his voluptuous beauties with slightly different temperaments.

Bringing these ladies into contemporary art, Xu uses some new modern sensibilities to represent them: His sculptures are bold without going overboard, exaggerated but not absurd.

Vice-chairman of Chinese Artists Association Xu Qinsong once commented, "He [Xu] is always remaking himself, seeking innovation and making changes to surprise us."