The largest solo mainland show of works by Ju Ming, arguably Taiwan's most influential sculptor, is currently running at the National Art Museum of China.

The Living World series, painted wood, by Ju Ming on display in the National Art Museum of China. Photos by Cui Meng / China Daily

On view are 150 larger-than-life pieces of his Living World series, works Ju has produced over the past 30 years in a wide range of media, including wood, stone, ceramics, bronze, sponge, styrofoam and stainless steel.

At the entrance to the museum, viewers will encounter two of Ju's humorous works - a group of brightly colored, stainless steel paratroopers suspended in mid-air, and a queuing crowd comprised of copper-cast individuals with varied facial expressions.

Ju's works occupy four exhibition halls, featuring a myriad of figures, such as fashionable young ladies, gossiping crowds, ballerinas, soldiers, monks and swimmers, all wrought in a minimalist approach.

The exhibition also debuts Ju's most recent, philosophical works, entitled Imprisonment, as part of the Living World series.

The ongoing exhibition offers local viewers "a window to another domain of Ju's masterful art", says museum dean Fan Di'an.

Ju's first successful solo show was held in the same museum in 2006, featuring his Tai Chi sculptures - his signature works - which are popular in public spaces in Taiwan, Hong Kong and many other cities around the world.

Taiwan's most influential master sculptor Ju Ming visits Beijing.

In Fan's view, the contemplative and spiritually charged Tai Chi works reveal Ju's perfect combination of modern sculptural language and ideas from Eastern aesthetics.

But Fan says Ju's Living World series not only "demonstrates a maestro's prowess in the use of materials, it also expresses his sharp observations of reality and his humorous, optimistic outlook on life, and overflowing, child-like innocence".

Wearing a work cap, the thin, short and brisk 73-year-old artist impressed local viewers with his unassuming and easy-going demeanor at the recent opening of the exhibition.

"This time, I have brought to you a whole new set of works. I hope you'll like them," Ju said simply at the opening, casually waving his right hand.

"Ju has been known as an exceptionally persistent, challenge-loving artist, who, despite many twists and turns in his life, has pressed on with courage and brought one delightful surprise after another to enthusiasts of his art," said Su-mei Wu, executive director of Taipei-based Juming Culture and Education Foundation.

"Sculpting is happiness, which is why I've been doing it for decades," Ju said. "But of course, hard work is the other side to it."