Li Hongbo is a Beijing based artist that creates surprising and unusual works from paper. He earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts from Jilin Normal University in 1996; a Master of Fine Arts from the Folk Art Department of the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing in 2002; and a Master of Fine Arts from the Experimental Art Department of Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing in 2010.
Li Hongbo is most well known for his relationship with paper. His reinvention of the material‘s forms challenges viewers expectations of the medium as artistic vehicle.
His paper sculptures hide influences of folk traditions in China, but in contemporary light play upon perceptions and the visual language used in sculptural conversations. The kinetic qualities of his work allow the pieces to expand, contract and retract elegantly.
Thousands of sheets of paper are glued to create a large block. The artist carves this block to create a form that can be outstretched like an accordion, transforming the work into something completely different.
His work has been shown in museums around the world including: SCAD Museum of Art, Savannah; CODA Museum, The Netherlands; Central Academy of Fine Arts Museum, Beijing, China; Kunstverein Ludwigsburg, Ludwigsburg, Germany; Palazzo Michiel, Venice, Italy; Berkshire Museum, Pittsfield, MA; 18th Biennale of Sydney, Australia; Sishang Art Museum, Beijing, China.
Images courtesy of Li Hongbo
