Practising tai chi as a way to discipline his mind and body led the sculptor Ming Ju to begin work on a series based on the martial arts theme. In the 1970s, he created 62 pieces of various tai chi poses—blocky, larger-than-life bronze figures whose massive heft belies the energy and momentum of their bodies—which would be his signature collection for decades to come.

As a youth, Ju trained as a woodcarver; and in 1959 he opened his own studio, working primarily on crafts. Named as one of the Ten Outstanding Youth in 1976 for his contribution to the Nativist movement, he sought to innovate his technique and took on another apprenticeship under Yang Yuyu, the same artist who encouraged Ju to take up tai chi. In the 1980s he began The Living World, an ongoing series consisting of bright figures made from bronze, painted wood, stainless steel, and Styrofoam that captured the human form in all its diversity. His critically acclaimed “Imprisonment” set, created in 2009, narrowed the palette to black and white, evoking the fundamental human qualities of good and evil.

Today, over 2,000 pieces of his works can be found at the 11-hectare Juming Museum, the largest outdoor museum in Taiwan, which is now training the next generation of artists through its childhood educational programs.