A Dialogue Across the Time, one of Wu Weishan's best-known works, is a set of two bronze sculptures depicting Italian Renaissance polymath Leonardo da Vinci and modern Chinese artist Qi Baishi. CHINA DAILY

Artistic ambassador

The second installment of People's Images, an exhibition series Wu launched in 2015, is now being held as part of shows at the NAMOC to celebrate Spring Festival. It displays the museum's collection of paintings and sculptures that depict grassroots workers since the 1950s until today.

"The exhibition conveys an idea central to the NAMOC's work, that is, serving our people and respecting artists," Wu says.

Wu says he believes showing its collection of Chinese art on the international stage is another way to help the NAMOC become a state-of-the-art museum and tell the stories of China and Chinese people.

Wu, a prolific sculptor who has depicted luminaries in history and role models in modern China over several decades, also views his own artworks as an important vehicle for cultural exchanges between China and the international community.

On Jan 17, 2020, A Dialogue Across the Time, a set of two bronze sculptures by Wu that depicts Italian Renaissance polymath Leonardo da Vinci and modern Chinese artist Qi, was unveiled in Da Vinci's birthplace, the town of Vinci in Italy. A smaller version of the work was installed in 2019 at the 450-year-old Accademia delle Arti del Disegno (Academy of the Arts of Drawing) in Florence. The piece was added to the academy's permanent collection to commemorate the 500th anniversary of Da Vinci's death.