Born into a poor family in Leizhou city, under the administration of Zhanjiang city in western Guangdong, Huang said he deeply understood how hard life was for builders.

"As construction workers, my parents frequently traveled for work, sometimes as far as Hainan province when I was a child, and they used to return home once every few months," he said.

"Although I have never been to any of the construction sites my parents worked at, I know they worked very hard."

Huang said he once got a taste of what the work was like.

"When I was a junior, I spent a day helping my uncle build his house in the village. I felt exhausted after mixing cement, moving and laying bricks," he said.

And after he arrived in Guangzhou to go to university, he discovered that many builders have to work in the scorching sun or in the pouring rain.

Huang became a household name in his hometown when his brother posted a photo of his sculpture on his family WeChat group and his father later forwarded it to his WeChat Moments.

"My father, who is the pillar of my family, is not very good at expressing his feelings, but I know he was very happy when he saw my sculpture," Huang said.

He said he hoped to be able to work in Guangzhou in the months to come, and he is now in the process of interviewing with several companies.

"Although I have studied sculpture for five years, I may not have to work in sculpture after graduation," he said.

Nevertheless, Huang said he would maintain his passion for art.

"I will continue to find time to create art on weekends, and I hope to be able to create a series of sculptures themed on construction workers in the future," he added.

After the exhibition, the academy added his sculpture to its collection.

Chen Hongjian, deputy dean of GAFA's Department of Sculpture, said Huang is a simple and plain student, but he has a strong handson ability.

"Huang's sculpture is very sincere, emotional and honest, so it resonates with everyone," Chen said.

Qin Yifei contributed to this story.