Chinese Sculpture Faces Backlash Over ‘Ugly’ Statue of Olympic Gold Medalist

China's tribute statue for its Olympic gold medalist is not gaining a positive response from its citizens.

The bronze statue was of gold medalist Quan Hongchan. Created by sculptor Xu Hongfei, Quan, in a diving pose, is currently displayed at the Sports Culture of Guangzhou. At 17 years old, she has already won three Olympic golds and other international medals.

Chinese citizens think it's only justifiable to make a decent statue as a tribute to her impressive achievements for herself and her country. According to SCMP, Quan is loved by mainland people and the "ugly" statue has provoked negative criticisms of the sculptor.

Reaction to China's 'Ugly' Statue for Olympic Gold Medalist

In the SCMP report, people were questioning the statue's resemblance to the Olympic diver, pointing out that the only similar feature is the mole on her lip. Several online users also took notice of Hongfei's craftsmanship for showing her belly button even though she was wearing a swimsuit.

As a response, many people from the mainland are now demanding to remove the statute due to its looks.

Now, Xu Hongfei is no stranger to controversies. In 2022, he released a sculpture of a 'Chubby Woman' at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, which is part of his well-known fat ladies series that have been showcased internationally over the last decade. Chinese women slammed the piece for damaging their images, but Xu explained that larger women are still beautiful and happy.

Xu has yet to respond to criticisms of his Quan statue.