Courtesy Klein Sun Gallery, New York. © Li Hongbo
Chinese artist Li Hongbo, whose unusual, stretchable paper sculptures we first introduced on the blog about a year ago, recently opened his first solo show in the US, “Tools of Study,” at Klein Sun Gallery in New York. Returning to his roots, Li recreated the classical Greco-Roman busts he used to imitate as a sculpture student in order to learn the craft. While these busts appear to be carved from stone, they are composed of thousands of sheets of paper glued by hand in a honey comb-like pattern.
The stateliness of these figures — from the Goddess of Parthenon, Athena, to the busts of anonymous Roman youths — is suddenly diminished when the sculptures are stretched. The works become absurd. Li demonstrates his aptitude for realism with sculptures of isolated, gigantic facial features and even a skeleton. You can check out “Tools of Study” through March 2.
Courtesy Klein Sun Gallery, New York. © Li Hongbo
Courtesy Klein Sun Gallery, New York. © Li Hongbo
Courtesy Klein Sun Gallery, New York. © Li Hongbo
Courtesy Klein Sun Gallery, New York. © Li Hongbo
Courtesy Klein Sun Gallery, New York. © Li Hongbo
Courtesy Klein Sun Gallery, New York. © Li Hongbo
Courtesy Klein Sun Gallery, New York. © Li Hongbo
Courtesy Klein Sun Gallery, New York. © Li Hongbo
Courtesy Klein Sun Gallery, New York. © Li Hongbo
Courtesy Klein Sun Gallery, New York. © Li Hongbo
Courtesy Klein Sun Gallery, New York. © Li Hongbo
Courtesy Klein Sun Gallery, New York. © Li Hongbo
Courtesy Klein Sun Gallery, New York. © Li Hongbo
Courtesy Klein Sun Gallery, New York. © Li Hongbo
