SHANGHAI; Standing in front of a Bruce Lee statue at Infinity Studio in Shanghai, visitors might feel as if they have travelled 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 remarkably lifelike.
To achieve ultimate authenticity, the team even used human hair implantation techniques to create the statue's eyelashes, eyebrows, and hair. According to Yu Guanglai, the founder of Infinity Studio, even the stubble was implanted and then shaved to achieve the most realistic appearance possible.
“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”. Through its 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, bringing notable heroic characters such as Nezha, Yang Jian and the Monkey King to life.
Yu used to collect 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 from 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, also known as the Old Summer Palace, of which only the iconic animal heads survive today.
The studio holds several major licences for iconic global franchises, including DC Comics, The Lord of the Rings, Avatar, World of Warcraft, and League of Legends. Among its products, 1,000 pre-orders for 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 (US$16.5 billion) by 2026, with an average annual growth rate of more than 20 per cent, according to a report on China's pop toy, 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.
In recent years, China's figure and statue market has flourished. Earlier this month, the annual Shanghai Wonder Festival, hosted by Chinese video-sharing platform Bilibili, showcased more than 100,000 products and attracted more than 150,000 visitors, alongside over 400 business exhibitors and more than 2,700 individual exhibitors from around the world.
Peng said Infinity Studio's team has seen rapidly growing demand for products based on 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. Seeking to showcase nature's beauty and metal craftsmanship through Eastern aesthetics, the company uses metal rather than traditional resin to create 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.”- China Daily/ANN
