A statue made by Chen is based on the image of Ji Xianlin, who is a Gentle Academic Giant in China. [Photo by Ju Chuanjiang/ Asianewsphoto]

Chen spent two years visiting numerous temples in India, Nepal and the Tibet autonomous region where Buddhist paintings and sculptures have been preserved, in a bid to understand his subjects well.

"It usually took one or two months to create a statue, but some even took several years as I came across new ideas while making them," says Chen.

Besides the sculptures, Chen has made statues of numerous Chinese mythology, historically and cultural figures such as Confucius and his 72 disciples.

"Traditional Chinese culture includes a wide range of virtues such as benevolence, faith, tolerance and harmony," Chen says. "I try to use my sculptures to express the ideas ... which are also needed in today's world."

Chen rises at 5 am and works for more than 12 hours daily. There's still much he needs to do, he says. "I'm always afraid of not having enough time."