An exhibition of late Chinese sculptor Liu Shiming's works opened at the Asian Cultural Center (ACC) in New York City on Monday.

The exhibition "Departure and Return," which runs from October 28 to November 8 at the ACC, features dozens of bronze sculptures made by Liu, who passed away in 2010 at the age of 84, said Hong Mei, managing curator of the Liu Shiming Sculpture Museum at the Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA), at the opening ceremony.

Liu was among the first generation of homegrown Chinese artists. He mined his experiences living in the grassroots of China and his research into classic Chinese art to create "Chinese methods" of sculpture, she said.

Liu's works, often depicting ordinary people he knew, such as villagers, herders and opera performers, are vivid records of the daily lives of China's countryside residents in the 1960s, according to Ma Lu, dean of the School of Plastic Arts and director of the Department of Oil Painting, CAFA.

"Liu's works represent very well the Chinese culture in a very fantastic way," said Italian sculptor Dionisio Cimarelli, who now teaches at New York Academy of Art. "Many Chinese (sculpture) artists have been looking very Western. But Liu still kept very much his character, the Chinese character."

Cimarelli, who had lived in China for many years, said the exhibition is an excellent platform for the American audience to learn more about real Chinese culture.

The exhibition marks the first leg of a world tour of Liu's works, which is organized by the Central Academy of Fine Arts, where Liu studied and later lectured.

The exhibition will also be shown in ACC's Washington D.C. branch from November 14-26. Then it will travel to Boston, Los Angeles, Sydney and Melbourne in 2020.

Born in Tianjin in 1926, Liu was enrolled in the first batch of students in the sculpture department of CAFA's predecessor in 1946.

Throughout the 1960s, he taught at schools and worked at museums in the provinces of Henan and Hebei. There, he formed a close bond with people from different walks of life and received extensive exposure to rich and diverse folk cultures.

The experiences helped Liu build a distinctive language of sculpture, which presents a touch of worldly simplicity and human warmth.

After his death, his family donated a considerable collection of his works to CAFA, which established the Liu Shiming Sculpture Museum on December 24, 2018.

(With input from Xinhua News Agency and China Daily)