Works by young Chinese artists have won acclaim at a sculpture exhibition that opened on Sunday in Xiamen, reported the Beijing Times.

A visitor at the sculpture exhibition takes photos with a group of sculptures featuring Peking opera facial masks on Sunday, July 27, 2008.

Sculptures by the post-80 generation such as Tian Xi, Wu Tong and Song Jianshu stood out among the 211 pieces on display, said Zeng Chenggang, president of the China Sculpture Institute.

The exhibition, jointly hosted by China Sculpture Institute and the Xiamen Municipal Government, is the largest sculpture exhibition to be organized since 1949.

"There are many sculpture groups in downtown Xiamen, but we rarely have the chance to visit such a comprehensive exhibition," an art buff browsing the sculptures said.

With daring designs and flaming colors, the sculptures drew hoards of young fans too. Zeng Chenggang said the exhibition was testament to the rise of young artists.

The organizing committee also gave out awards to outstanding young artists and sculpture masters. Pan He and Qian Shaowu were honored with lifetime achievement awards.

The exhibition will travel to major Chinese cities including Guangzhou, Xi'an and Changchun before coming to Beijing next year.

(CRI July 28, 2008)