Xu Hongfei and his works at the "Guangdong Week" of the Expo 2015 in Milan, Italy. [Photo/China Daily]

An exhibition titled "Chubby Sun – Xu Hongfei's Sculpture World Tour to Russia" kicked off at the Repin Institute of Fine Arts in St. Petersburg on June 10. Featuring 44 works by Chinese artist Xu Hongfei, it marks Xu's 33rd destination for his world tour.

The highlight is the artist's "Chubby Women" sculptures, which demonstrate Chinese people's optimistic attitude towards life.

"The artist has reached a very high level of sculpting. We can see his rich imagination and excellent skills through his works. What impressed me most is this sculpture that he donated to the institute – we can see China is making big progress in sculpture art," a Russian exhibition goer said.

"I like the modelling design of Xu's work. He didn't simply make sculptures based on what he saw, but created them in an artistic way," a Russian visitor said.

"Many visitors told me my works deliver a sense of happiness and humor; They can even imagine the happy life of Chinese people through my sculptures. So I think my exhibition is acting as a good medium to tell the story of China to the world," sculptor Xu Hongfei said.

This year marks the 175th anniversary of the birth of Russian painter Ilya Repin. Many famous paintings by the artist, including "Barge Haulers on the Volga" and "They Did Not Expect Him", are on display at the Repin Institute of Fine Arts. And this is also why Xu chose this place to present his artworks – to pay tribute to the great painter.

"The Repin Institute of Fine Arts is well known both in Russia and China. As a Chinese artist, it is a great honor to have this opportunity to hold such a large-scale exhibition here. I think it will open new doors for Chinese artists to come to Russia and to show their creativity and uniqueness in art," Xu said.

During his 30-year career, Xu has been inspired by his trials, capturing the lifestyles of people overseas, and integrating exotic cultures with Chinese culture.

Now Xu is on his 34th world tour to Kobe in Japan, with 15 new creations. "I hope my 'Chubby Women' series can bring something different to Japan's viewers. Because many people here live a fast-paced life, I hope they can feel happy and relaxed after seeing my exhibition," Xu said.

Xu's exhibition tours to Russia and Japan are part of the 2019 Guangzhou Culture Week – a cultural exchange between China and the world.