Li also highlights a sculpture of the name Ma, which means horse in Chinese. He says this sculpture is similar to the character of ma that was used in the state of Chu during the Warring States Period (475-221 BC). At that time, nearly each state wrote this character in a different way, Li says. "The Chu-style ma seems like the eye of a horse running on a vast land, showing the imagination of ancient people."

This sculpture also shows symmetrical aesthetics, and the lines of the work are carefully designed. "We use 'live' lines to make this sculpture. The bend of the lines lead to different feelings of the shape. You cannot see any right angle on this work, since they are formed by 'dead' lines."

Speaking about the sculpture of Yang, Li also says its ancient form can be seen to be a combination of three parts, which he shows in his work. He put the left part of the character on the top of the sculpture, with the other two parts of the character below, constituting a seemingly different, but actually similar form of the name.

All of the sculptures designed by Li have the connotation of gestation. They all can be seen as a woman who is gestating a child. It signifies the inheritance of family name culture.

Li has spent 12 years designing the pieces. Each had to go through a 26-step process, with over 120 people contributing to the effort.

Li also says people are supposed to respect family names and the culture behind them. "In ancient times, those who committed crimes were kicked out of their family trees and were denied burial in family graves." In other words, a misdeed may deprive someone of their family name.

"Life is a journey of seeking roots. People seek the roots of their lives to understand the world and themselves better. I am lucky to find some genes of traditional Chinese culture in family names," says Li.

wangru1@chinadaily.com.cn