Photo provided to China Daily

"I feel like I can smell the smoke and the rice wine from Tian's sculptures. They are very real and close to people living in the mountainous areas of Guizhou," says Qian Shaowu, a member of the sculpture committee of Chinese Artists Association.

When Tian created his first sculptures of the Miao people featuring typical Chinese faces in the 1970s, he was criticized for demonizing Chinese people.

"We were short of confidence about flat faces at the time. But I insisted on modeling the real Chinese," says Tian.

The artist has also made models of celebrities in various fields from ancient and modern China, such as poet Wang Bo, writer Lu Xun and painter Qi Baishi.

A sculpture depicting drama director Lin Zhaohua is Tian's latest work. He says he finished a sculpture of Lin's head over the course of several meetings with the director.

"As a sculptor, I have the ability to capture a person's features after a short conversation," says Tian.

The sculptor has never changed his style. The only change is his experimentation with different materials, he says.

Tian has innovatively used different clays, various stones, wood and bronze for his sculptures.

"Innovation is what distinguishes an artist from a craftsman," says Tian.

Artist Shao Dazhen says Tian has never changed his style to cater to the market.

Shao says Tian creates his works based on his own experiences and feelings, combining his thoughts with reality, elevating Tian's sculptures beyond the mundane.