In his biggest show to date, renowned sculptor Tian Shixin's exhibition at the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing narrates six decades of his life and art inspiration.

The 98 sculptures on display mirror his art style during different periods. Often inspired by the local communities he met, the exhibition has dedicated an entire series to his sculptures of minority groups. 

Tian was born in Beijing in the 1940s. After graduating from the college, he lived in a rural area in southwest China's Guizhou Province for 25 years. What he saw and felt there is evident in his works. Many of his sculptures depict the strong vitality of the local people and their lives.

"The 'Miao Girl' has made me known to the public in the 1980s. It won the silver prize at a national art competition," says Tian. This sculpture depicting a Dong minority girl helped spread awareness of the different minority groups in Guizhou Province. 

Tian Shixin's exploration of new artistic possibilities has never stopped. Even today, at 76, the sculptor is still working on preserving and developing traditional skills. His bodiless lacquerware pieces are the biggest of their kind in the world. Each of the ancient Chinese emperor figures is around 2 meters tall. Using traditional lacquer on a piece this size is considered quite challenging, but Tian has his reasons. 

"I've been using traditional lacquer in my work for about thirty years, because this paint is quite resistant to natural erosion. I've seen the excavated objects in the Han Dynasty (206 B.C.-AD 220) tomb, including stones, bronzeware, wooden and jade pieces. Only those painted with Chinese lacquer have stayed unchanged, or rather, looked brand new."

The exhibition, which runs through Sunday, is Tian Shixin's biggest to date. And it shows why he's such a powerful influence on so many Chinese sculptural artists.