Hyper-realistic statues draw on pop culture, mythology to tell compelling stories

Standing in front of a Bruce Lee statue at Infinity Studio in Shanghai, you might feel as if you had traveled through time and space to meet the real person.

With a determined gaze, a touch of stubble, a natural expression, soft skin and smoothly defined muscles, the hyper-realistic, life-size silicone bust of the legendary martial artist looks absolutely lifelike.

Striving for ultimate authenticity, the team even used human hair implantation techniques to create the statue's eyelashes, eyebrows and hair. Even the stubble was implanted and then shaved to achieve the most realistic appearance possible, according to Yu Guanglai, the founder of Infinity Studio.

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"Bruce Lee is arguably one of the most influential figures in the entire overseas Chinese community. He truly introduced Chinese kung fu to the whole world, and we want to preserve and present the best of him," Yu said.

His words reflect the studio's commitment to "portraying the Chinese". With the statues, the team hopes to make more Chinese heroes and stories known to the world. In 2017, the team delved deeper into traditional Chinese culture and launched its Chinese mythology series, and the notable heroic characters Nezha, Yang Jian and the Monkey King took on a life of their own in the team's hands.

Yu used to be a collector of statues and figures. More than a decade ago, he was eager to buy products from Chinese franchises, but could barely find any on the market.

After 3D printing technology entered the consumer market, Yu and his partners founded the studio in 2015.

Their first original series was inspired by the Chinese historical epic Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Released in stages starting in 2016, the 1/4 scale statue series quickly became a hit not only in China, but also among Southeast Asian enthusiasts who share similar cultural roots.

Yu also highlighted the studio's 12 Chinese zodiac animal sculptures, a series based on the original full-body statues at Yuanmingyuan (Old Summer Palace), of which only the iconic animal heads survive today.

The studio holds a number of major licenses for iconic global franchises, including DC Comics, The Lord of the Rings, Avatar, World of Warcraft and League of Legends. Among them, 1,000 preorders of the world's first life-size silicone bust of Wonder Woman, a character from DC Entertainment's Justice League, sold out globally within one hour in 2019.

China's pop toy industry is projected to reach 110.1 billion yuan ($16.5 billion) by 2026, with an average annual growth rate of over 20 percent, according to a report on China's pop toy and animation and comic industries released by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' National Academy of Economic Strategy.

"China's complete and efficient supply chain is essential for all statue makers seeking competitive products," said Peng Jiongyun, Infinity Studio's head of marketing.

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In recent years, China's figure and statue market has flourished. Early this month, the annual Shanghai Wonder Festival, hosted by Chinese video-sharing platform Bilibili, gathered over 100,000 products and drew more than 150,000 visitors, along with over 400 business exhibitors and more than 2,700 individual exhibitors from around the world.

Peng said that Infinity Studio's team has witnessed rapidly growing demand for products derived from more domestic works, such as A Record of a Mortal's Journey to Immortality and Wuthering Waves.

Many other companies are also looking beyond traditional toy models, including Jizai, based in Xiamen, Fujian province. Aiming to showcase the beauty of nature and metal craftsmanship through Eastern aesthetics, the company uses metallic materials rather than traditional resin to make traditional heroic figures.

Chen Ye, founder of Jizai, said, "We hope people from diverse cultural backgrounds can experience our exquisite metal works and forge a connection with Chinese culture."

Contact the writers at wangxin2@chinadaily.com.cn