China has been capitalizing off trendy US events, and Trump is no exception. After making a shirt of Trump raising his fist after the 1st failed assassination attempt, a Buddha statue of the upcoming US President is now on the market.
Artist Hong Jinshi in Xiamen, China, sculpted Trump in a cross-legged pose, similar to that of Buddha, with half-closed eyes and in a tranquil state.
According to the Straits Times, these ceramic statuettes attracted attention due to a playful juxtaposition of Trump's usually pugnacious public persona with serene, meditative imagery from Buddhism. From light-hearted jokes initially, they were viral hits. The statuettes sell in sizes that are sold at price points from 999 yuan up to 20,000 yuan (around $190 and $3,750 ), depending on their sizes.
Hong Jinshi's Trump statues first became popular on the Chinese e-commerce platform Taobao in 2021. Hong said he chose Trump as a subject because of his enormous online presence and tendency to say outrageous things. The statues have gained a wide audience, and Hong estimates he has sold hundreds of them over the years.
Although the statues had been a great success in China, Hong's works have somehow found their way into international platforms as well, and knock-off versions are being sold at much cheaper prices, and even on sites like Amazon and Temu. Each statue is packaged with something that humorously references Trump's famous campaign slogan, "Make America Great Again," but with a twist: worded to say "Make your company great again."
Read More: Chinese Retailers Capitalize on Trump Shooting With High-Demand Souvenir T-Shirts on Taobao
Hong Jinshi's Next Statue
After the success of the Trump Buddha statues, SCMP shared that Hong has started working on another piece: a statue of Elon Musk, or Trump's right-hand man. The new sculpture will depict Musk in a superhero Iron Man-style suit, complete with a large rocket protruding from his groin. Hong's sculptor's view Musk as an entrepreneur with extra-large ambitions along with his great innovations in the space industry with a mix of satire. While polarizing reputation keeps Musk at large, Hong even admires Musk for his performances in the context of space and electric vehicle markets.
Hong's sculptures walk along the thin red line between satire, admiration, and offense. While they can be seen as being playful, they are also seen as subtle commentaries on the political figures they portray. Hong has refused to comment directly on Trump's policies toward China, a very sensitive topic for the region. Still, the artist continues to enjoy the success of his art.
Although the artist no longer sells his works on Chinese e-commerce platforms, likely concerned with offending the sensibilities of Buddhists, interest in the statues remains high. Orders keep pouring in from tourists and word-of-mouth customers, showing that Hong's work has struck a chord with many people around the world.
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