The largest and most striking piece depicts a horse wearing an ornate saddle, lowering its head to drink water. To help the sculpture blend naturally with the mall's environment, it is surrounded by a delicate arrangement of flowers and grass. Pavel Shevchenko, one of Russia's premier animal sculptors, created the piece.
Another highlight is a series of winged horses, including refined sculptures by Russian artist Sergey Kubasov, who has been fascinated by horses his whole life, and "even believed he was a horse in a past life", Sun adds.
Shevchenko, who passed away in 2021, and Kubasov, who died in 2004, were both professors at the Repin Academy and Sun's teachers during his time studying in Russia. When Sun first arrived in 2003, he was struck by the "realism" and the "internal power" of their work.
"They believed art is non-replicable. Every piece is unique, and you must have your own subjective understanding of whatever you create," Sun explains.
