A Chinese artist has taken out the top prize at Sydney's annual Sculpture by the Sea exhibition for his three-metre-tall rendition in bronze and granite of an uprooted tree.
Professor Shen Lieyi walked away with $100,000 from the Aqualand Sculpture Award as his work and that of other finalists was unveiled along the city's famous coastline on Friday.
The acclaimed artist has works in public collections around the world, including in China, Switzerland and Australia, and has previously entered the Bondi-based competition three times.
Shen said a sculpture was not complete until it was seen by the public.
"I have always tried to integrate Eastern wisdom and thinking into my creations, and the acceptance of my works by Australians and tourists has inspired me," he said.
Running since 1997, the Sculpture by the Sea exhibition will in 2024 feature 100 artworks and is expected to be viewed by more than 450,000 people.
The sculptures dot the coast from Bondi to the neighbouring beach of Tamarama, both in Sydney's east.
The event's artistic director, David Handley, said the buzz for the exhibition was only beginning.
"It's only just stopped raining and there's a strong crowd gathering," he said.
There had been some logistical problems getting all the sculptures to the exhibition on time and seven more would be added in the coming weeks, Mr Handley said.
"We had some challenges this year, the Chinese typhoons and the huge cyclone off the west coast of India caused real freight delays," he said.
The exhibition features artists from around the world, including 10 works by Indian artists as part of a dedicated showcase.
Renowned Australian sculptors James Rogers, John Petrie, Stephen King and Paul Bacon return to the line-up nearly three decades after exhibiting in the first Sculpture by the Sea.
The veterans are joined by 35 artists exhibiting for the first time, including sculptors from Switzerland, Denmark, South Korea and France.
Sculpture by the Sea is the world's largest free sculpture exhibition, although donations are encouraged. It runs until November 4.
