Sculptures by Liu Huanzhang mostly portray female bodies and animals in a style which honors the objects' spirit over their details. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Liu's artist friend, Huang Yongyu, says the sculptor changes into "a gentle, attentive mother when working on his stones, wood, mud and jade, and he is patient, persistent and even stubborn.

"Who knows why there is such a profession called sculptor, who'd like to temper his character on stones and wood and create things that look livelier and handsomer than humans," says Huang.

Liu believes a good sculpture doesn't tell a dramatic story but depend on its form. "The work speaks with its radiance, size and volume. I attempt to establish a style that is simple and straightforward but not shallow.