Making color count

Williams' crayon sculptures are of animals, wood and children at play. Some are about music and his hometown, Nashville.

Animals, wood and children at play are the main subjects of Williams' sculptures. The 40-year-old artist is based in Nashville, Tennessee, which is famous for American country music. A series of sculptures and paintings are about music and Nashville, and Williams performed his own compositions at the opening.

"Finding beauty in everyday life is very important to me", Williams says. He has been exhibited widely all over the world: in museums, children's hospitals and the White House.

The exhibition "represents the past 10 years of my life", as Williams has worked exclusively with crayon for 12 years.

He calls the material "the gateway drug": "Who hasn't held a crayon? As a child you are an artist if you are using a crayon; then to capture an adult's imagination and use it in a different way, to me is very exciting.

"I'd like to think the idea dictates the media, but the crayon has been my favorite. I am still discovering new possibilities with it."

Having his debut China show in a shopping mall is "not at all what I expected", Williams says. In Nashville, it's hard to get people to where your art is.

"This is a fantastic solution, because the people are already here," he says.