Rugby by Xu Hongfei is part of the exhibition Chubby Women, now on show in Aotea Square. Photo / Michael Craig
Rugby by Xu Hongfei is part of the exhibition Chubby Women, now on show in Aotea Square. Photo / Michael Craig
A new sculpture exhibition in Auckland’s Aotea Square aims to encourage body positivity and celebrate diverse body types.
Chinese artist Xu Hongfei’s Chubby Women has exhibited at the Louvre in Paris, in London, Berlin, Kobe and Sydney and is now in Auckland until February 16.
Under The Sun by Xu Hongfei. Photo / Michael Craig
The works feature chubby women full of humour and free-spirited energy – and a piece made especially for Auckland inspired by the strength, determination and joy of the Women’s Rugby Sevens team at Paris 2024.
“Why is being chubby always associated with ugliness? I want to restore the beauty of their nature,” Xu told the Global Times in an interview in November 2014. “My Chubby Women are lively characters with a sense of humour ... they tell stories about life, love, and family. These are pleasurable themes, which are universal throughout the world.”
Childlike Innocence by Xu Hongfei. Photo / Michael Craig
A graduate of Guangzhou Sculpture Acadamy, Xu continues to live and work in the southern Chinese city and cites Titian and Rubens among his influences. His work is also a throwback to the Tang Dynasty (618-907), when pleasantly plump court ladies were considered the epitome of beauty and were represented extensively in paintings, sculpture and poetry.
He created his first Chubby Women sculpture in 1999, inspired by a visit to his workshop by Chinese master artist Huang Yongyu, who was greatly impressed by one of Xu’s finished works of a very plump woman.
Joy by Xu Hongfei. Photo / Michael Craig
He believes the art of sculpture is a global language able to bridge cultural gaps.
He employs a range of media as varied as his characters and sculpts women as joyful, simple, energetic and cultured, enriching his subjects by depicting a range of temperaments.
Continually creating new works, Xu is inspired by his visits to new places around the world – injecting his experiences of family, love, music, sport and other themes – but always with an element of humour.
Beautiful Music by Xu Hongfei. Photo / Michael Craig
“Sculptures in art galleries tend to be distant and out of reach,” he said in that 2014 interview. “I want viewers to get closer to my sculptures and interact with them”, which is why his work is always exhibited outdoors.
His rugby piece was inspired by the strength, determination and joy of the Women’s Rugby Sevens team at Paris 2024, and he created it to celebrate the success of the New Zealand Women’s Rugby Sevens team as 2024 Olympic Games champions.
It was custom-made for the Auckland exhibition of Chubby Women and celebrates the 35th anniversary of Auckland’s sister city relationship with Guangzhou.
Chubby Women is in Aotea Square until February 16.
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