Around 2005, Cao Ching En was commissioned to make sculptures of Bruce Lee.  He made an 8 meter high version for Lee's ancestoral hometown, Shunde, to the west of Guangzhou, and a 2.5 meter high version, which is located on the waterfront of the Kowloon side of Hong Kong SAR on the Avenue of the stars.

Recently, Cao came to visit us at Leona Craig's LC Yilang, in the Dongshan Kou section of Guangzhou, China, and we visited him at his studios, on the south side of the Pearl River, in Guangzhou.  We recently acquired some of his work, and we like to verify the art that we get into the gallery, so, we invited him over.   He is a truly delightful man with the heart of a little boy, and even though he is in his 70's, he tells us he still works on his own sculptures, not delegating the work to his apprentices, like so many other artists.

On our trip to visit him, we also got a small version of his Bruce Lee sculpture.

 Bruce Lee by Cao Chong En

He also gave us a tour around several of the buildings in which he has his studios set up.  During his long career he has created over 2000 individual works, and he tells us that about one-third of them are stored in the one studio on an upper floor.  We got to tour gthat room, too, and we took a picture because it was so fun.

 Cao Chong En's sculpture vault

As you can see, stone sculptors create a lot of dust.  Indeed, there was sculpture everywhere, in the downsatirs levels of the studios, out front, out back.  Some were made of stone, some made of marble, some made of clay, some blanks to make bronze castings, and some bronze casting parts of scultures, ready for assembly.

 Clay sculptures and bronze parts

Ayu even got to help spray down some clay sculptures that are being created, now, by Cao.



All and all, it was a throughly enjoyable time.

You can see some of the sculpture by Cao Chong En on the Cao Chong En Page of our on-line gallery, or come visit us at LC Yilang, in Guangzhou, to see what we currently have available, in sculpture from Cao Chong En, and more.

Craig Mattoli, Guangzhou, China: 86 136 3241 0877
Website: http://www.leonacraig.com 

11 Gui Gang Three Road, Dongshan Kou, Yuexiu district,  
Guangzhou, China 510080
广州市越秀区东山口龟岗三马路11号
086 020 37625069