Famed Chinese artist ai weiwei will have a series of bronze sculptures, inspired by the iconography of the zodiac, on show at yorkshire Sculpture Park (ysp) this coming spring.

The acclaimed contemporary artist, known too for his contentious relationship with the Chinese state, created the works Circle of Animals / Zodiac Heads in 2010, and the sculptures have been touring the world since 2011.

The work itself consists of a dozen animal heads, representing the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, horse, monkey, boar, dragon, snake, goat, rooster and dog that form the symbols of Chinese astrology. Each one is 3m (10ft) tall and weighs 363kg.

“I want this to be seen as an object that doesn’t have a monumental quality, but rather is a funny piece,” Ai said. “People can relate to or interpret on many different levels, because everybody has a zodiac connection.”

The exact dates of the exhibition at the wakefield-based attraction have not yet been announced. YS already has a work by the influential Beijing-born artist, Iron Tree, which is located in the courtyard.

Other recent exhibitions at the attraction included an array of 6m (20ft) sculptures by the Brooklyn, New York-based artist KAWS.