Sculpture makers work in basic facilities.

"If it is an industrial chain, we belong to the bottom part, and we are affected seriously," says Zhang, who learned the art in his hometown, Quyang county in Hebei province.

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Quyang is famous for its traditional stone-carving culture that dates back more than 2,000 years. Stone cutters from Quyang have played important roles in the construction of modern China's major projects like the Great Hall of the People and Chairman Mao Memorial Hall.

The local products, such as ornate white marble statutes, busts and fountains, are popular exports among buyers in Europe and North America.

But the global economic slump has affected Quyang's art exports in recent years. Like many young sculptors, Zhang left his hometown to seek opportunities in Beijing in 2008. He switched from stone-cutting to clay sculpture after realizing that dust could kill people.

"Most sculptors like me received little education. I think we lack the inspiration and creativity compared to the masters," Zhang says. "Just like in every business, you have to need connections in the market, but only the top players can access resources."

The "top players" in the industry are those national-level sculpture masters and professors from colleges like the China Central Academy of Fine Arts and the Academy of Art and Design of Tsinghua University.

Zhang is planning to return to his hometown. "I feel unstable and stressed in Beijing," he says.

"I am an artist, not a laborer. When I have enough money, I will make my own sculptures."

Major clients usually ask for works from the hands of renowned sculptors, who usually do the designs and then contract the production to teams like Zhang's.