Better than real thing

Zou Renti (back) poses with American astronaut Buzz Aldrin and a silicone effigy resembling himself.

The procedure Zou employed of making an effigy is similar to Madame Tussauds, but instead of using wax, Zou employed silica gel, which is often used in makeup for special effects in movies.

To make a silicone effigy, a sculptor makes a model out of plaster based on photos taken from different angles. Silica gel is pasted on top of the plaster model. The silica gel is then painted to make the skin look realistic, with veins and blemishes.

Compared with wax, silica gel is softer, more durable and feels more like human skin.

Before devoting himself to the world of effigy sculpturing, Zou worked in movie special effects in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, for more than 30 years.

"In many movies, we used silica gel to build fake noses and chins for actors and actresses to resemble their characters. And the result turned out perfect," Zou says.

Zou inserted computers into effigies he made and developed highly simulated robots that can move and interact with people.

A robot he made to resemble himself was honored in Time magazine's Best Inventions awards in 2006.

"Some robots do cool tricks. Others just look cool Its most impressive feature is its skin, which is made of silica gel and looks so lifelike that some people couldn't tell the real Zou from his double," Time wrote.

Fei Qinsheng, former director of the design department at Shanghai Museum, says Zou's highly simulated robots have opened doors for museums in terms of exhibition.

"With such robots, we can demonstrate things more vividly to visitors, especially for some historical scenes," he says.

When introducing his inventions and describing people's reactions toward them, Zou looks like a proud father.

"I like to see people amazed by what we have shown them. When those moments come, I feel that everything is worth doing," he says.

But he frowns when the current situation of his company and its future is mentioned.

"There are too many copycats," he says.

Although Zou has applied for patents for his techniques, he could not keep them secret from his employees. Many of his staff members left Zou's company and started their own after learning his techniques. According to Zou, there are more than 200 companies selling silica-gel effigies.

"My company's quality is incomparable of course, but they have lower prices, which puts me in a dilemma," he says.

Zou positions himself as an artist rather than a businessman, and he is very picky about clients. This pickiness has put the company in crisis.

"Last year, the tax we paid exceeded our profits. I have a passion for art and innovation, but suck at doing business," he says.

The price of one silica-gel effigy from Zou's company is 200,000 yuan ($33,000). It takes six to eight workers three to four months to finish.

Apart from the company's survival, Zou says he is also worried about the future of his craft.

"When the market is filled with silica-gel effigies of poor quality, I am worried that people will neglect the original beauty of this art form. And maybe 20 to 30 years later, they will abandon it because it is not amazing at all," he says.

Zou says his dream is to build a museum for silica-gel effigies so that more people can enjoy this new type of art.

"Madame Tussuads has exhibition centers of more than 10,000 square meters, but my works are scattered among different museums around the world. It is difficult for the public to really get to know it," he says.