The masked cat toy among other toys created by Japanese amateur sculptor Meetissai. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)
Memes that combine hilarious animal pictures and witty slogans easily tickle people's funny bones and spread quickly on the internet, gradually taking on a life of their own.
One young amateur sculptor from Japan, who goes by the pseudonym Meetissai, has actually brought some of the most popular memes to life, using skill and creativity.
Mostly based on amusing pictures of animals caught in awkward or unusual situations, such as a dog being led on its walk by a flying drone, a fluffy cat that takes the shape of the clear cuboid container it's sitting inside and a dog that can't catch a Frisbee, they have been transformed by the sculptor into pocket-size figurines made out of epoxy putty and stone powder clay.
The 3D artworks usually exude infectious cuteness and amuse people.
However, a cat figurine he sculpted two months ago may be the exception. While it seems funny, the story behind it is actually no laughing matter.
Early in February, an online user posted photos taken of a cat on a street in China on micro-blogging platform Sina Weibo.
His 3D artwork of the masked cat is inspired by a photo of a pet cat on the street in China that was posted and became popular online. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)
The cat is wearing a blue mask with eye holes cut out of it, supposedly to protect it from the novel coronavirus, a condition that mainly affects people.
Considering the seriousness of the outbreak back then, the image of the protective measures taken by the adorable pet's owner spread far and wide very quickly, catching the attention of Meetissai along the way.
He immediately got to work, creating a perfect recreation from putty and clay, vividly capturing the slightly confused cat in all of its meme-worthy glory and posted it on Twitter.
Shen Yu, the owner of a Shanghai-based modeling store, approached Meetissai for permission to manufacture and sell the funny feline figurines in China, with a plan to donate all the profits to Wuhan, the country's hardest-hit city during the outbreak.
"The small artwork was inspired by a scene in China when the country faced an unprecedented challenge to control the explosion of infected cases. I hoped it could be a reminder of what China and its people have sacrificed to fight against the virus," says Shen.
A poster of the charity project selling the masked cat figurines, with proceeds donated to Wuhan, Hubei province. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)
He flew to Japan to meet the sculptor on March 4 and brought back the sculpted cat with a note written in Chinese by Meetissai which reads "Wuhan, stay strong".
It took around 10 days before the first 6-centimeter-long figurines rolled off the production line.
So far, more than 12,000 maskprotected pussycats have been ordered, which are expected to yield a profit of over 400,000 yuan (US$56,452).
Shen has already donated over 220,000 yuan to the Wuhan Charity Federation and the rest of the profit will be given to the Han Hong Love Charity Foundation in May, he says.
Meetissai has since opened his own account on Sina Weibo, which has already garnered over 110,000 followers.
Pet owners in China now send him their own funny photos in the hope that he will be suitably inspired to immortalize their own beloved animals' embarrassing moments in vivid 3D.
