HUALEI GU
STATUE
WITH NO NAME
In the forest, deep and still,
An ancient statue stands at will.
Is he a hero, bold and grand,
Or a wind-born beast of shadowed land?
No name to speak, no story told,
His glory lost, his fate grown old.
The wind has swept his past away,
And left no trace for those who stay.
No title, no legacy to claim,
His past, like mist, is long since worn.
Rain his wine, the wind his song,
The birds in trees hum soft and long.
Oceans rise, empires fall,
Yet he remains, as ages come and go.
Software used: Maya, ZBrush, Unreal Engine, Substance Painter, Adobe Premiere Pro, Capcut
Design ideas and creative process
This piece of art is an exploration of dynamic contrasts, where the concept of "wind" meets the solidity of stone. In this creation, I’ve crafted an unnamed oriental statue, adorned with the Chinese word "风" (wind) in front. The design focuses on integrating elements of wind throughout the sculpture—depicted as totems, 3D forms, and semi-3D reliefs that wrap around the figure. To further emphasize the theme, the statue's garments flow with the breeze, while one of its arms transforms into swirling clouds. The dynamic, light presence of wind contrasts against the static, heavy nature of the stone figure, creating an intriguing dialogue between motion and stillness.
The process began with a simple draft sketch to outline the concept. I then modeled the entire sculpture using subdivision techniques in ZBrush. Afterward, I imported the model into Maya to refine the low poly mesh and complete the UV mapping. The material creation was done in Substance Painter to add depth and texture. Finally, I brought the sculpture into Unreal Engine, where I designed the surrounding landscape using downloaded assets, added custom fog effects, and rendered the scene. The accompanying video showcases the evolution of the project.