Figuring things out

Since he posted about this sculpture in a short video, it has garnered more than 5,000 likes on Douyin, the Chinese iteration of TikTok, becoming one of his most popular videos.

"Your skills are getting increasingly advanced and exquisite," one comment says. "The gleaming eyes vividly reflect the joy of being in a big happy family. Seeing it makes me feel like I am back in my childhood, sitting on a bicycle and enjoying the wind passing by."

He also highlights regional culture with his creations, depicting, for example, the ancient Shanxi merchants engaging in commerce, and making miniatures of local historical sites, including the Wang Family Compound and the Ancient City of Pingyao.

Another example of this is a sculpture portraying the folk storytellers of yore, who roamed the villages and told stories while playing folk instruments.

Yan brought this piece to a folk culture skills competition in July hosted by Jinzhong municipal bureau of culture and tourism and the Jinzhong cultural center. With this sculpture, and an on-the-spot creation depicting medical workers, Yan won the first prize at the competition.

Recognition from art experts and professional critics at such competitions has given him motivation, Yan says.