Sculpture of Mo Yan Sparks Controversy

Source: chinaculture.org     Updated: 2014-10-16 

A sculpture of Mo Yan is shown on Wusa Square in Shanghai, Oct 9, 2014. [Photo/iqilu.com]

A sculpture of Chinese writer Mo Yan shown in an exhibition in Shanghai sparks debate, with some saying it's "cute" while more saying it's uglifying the Nobel Prize laureate, China News Service reported.

A sculpture exhibition is underway in Wusa Square in Shanghai, with a statue of the renowned writer Mo Yan in the center place.

Some previous reports carried commentary on the sculpture, "from near it looks like a brown potato, slightly giving out a smell of earth while from a distance, 'Mo Yan' bulges his cheeks and shuts his mouth tight. He seems holding back the words which spring to his lips…"

An Internet user on Sina Weibo said "I think it's cute", with some agreeing with the comment.

But more people have negative comments about it. One said, "it looks like a potato as well as a pig's head. It's uglifying China's first Nobel Prize laureate, Mo Yan."

How does Mo Yan himself react on the sculpture?

The sculpture was made by Li Gang, an artist from Guizhou province. Li said he read Mo's works for many years and also visited Mo's hometown Gaomi during the creation.

After the work was finished, he showed a picture of it to Mo Yan by passing it through many hands, "Mo laughed for a long while and said this sculptor knows me," said Li.

The sculpture has been donated to Mo Yan Literature Museum.