Li Hongwei

born 1980 Tangshan China

lives in Beijing China & New York USA

Li Hongwei is a contemporary artist working between Beijing and New York, whose practice bridges the gap between Chinese heritage and Western modernism. He is widely recognized for his innovative mastery of porcelain and stainless steel—a combination that defines his signature aesthetic.

Drawing inspiration from the crystalline glazes of China’s historical dynasties, Hongwei transforms functional ceramic traditions into abstract, non-functional sculpture. In series like Allegory of Balance and Upwelling of Gravity, his ovoid forms reflect the virtues of harmony and simplicity while engaging with the cold, industrial strength of steel. This dialogue between the historical and the contemporary empowers the porcelain, giving it a new voice in the modern cultural landscape.

In his recent Fragments series, Hongwei explores the unity of opposing concepts. By reassembling porcelain shards, he turns fragility into a strength. While a fragment often represents loss or disorder, Hongwei uses these pieces to construct a new visual language of wholeness. Through his work, chaos and order coexist, and the "contemporary" nature of his art transcends mere technique. It becomes a conceptual exploration of the common human experience, inviting viewers to find unity in the shattered and beauty in the transformed.

His works have been acquired by The British Museum, Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, The Art Institute of Chicago, The Israel Museum, Harvard Art Museums, Philadelphia Museum of Art, etc. His works have been exhibited in a number of international art institutions, including the National Art Museum of China, The US Embassy, The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, The Art Institute of Chicago, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and The Dublin Castle in Ireland, etc. Hongwei holds a bachelor’s degree in sculpture from the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing; a master’s in ceramic art from the New York State College of Ceramics at the Alfred University at Alfred, NY. As a visiting artist, he has been invited to give lectures in different institutions, including Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

BIOGRAPHY

1980 Born in Tangshan, China
2005 BFA Sculpture, Central Academy of Fine Arts, Beijing, China
2007 MFA Ceramic Art, School of Art and Design of Alfred University, New York, USA
Present Lives and works in Beijing, China and New York, USA

SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2026-2027

Balancing Dualities: The Sculpture of Li Hongwei, The Ashley Gibson Barnett Museum of Art, Lakeland, FL, USA (Sept 27, 2026- Feb 27, 2027)

2024

Constructing Radiance: Sculpture by Li Hongwei, Alfred Ceramic Art Museum, Alfred University, Alfred, NY, USA
Exterior Appearance and Inherent Quality: The Art of Li Hongwei, The Bay Gallery, Shenzhen, China

2023

Reform the Future: The Art of Li Hongwei, The Bay Gallery, Shenzhen, China

2022

Becoming Harmonious: The Art of Li Hongwei, Long Museum (West Bund), Shanghai, China
Sublime: Works by Li Hongwei, Edwards Art Gallery, Holderness, NH, USA
Balancing the Cosmos: Works by Li Hongwei, Kalamazoo Institute of Arts, Kalamazoo, MI, USA
Brilliant Illusions: Crafted Forms by Li Hongwei, University of Kentucky Art Museum, Lexington, KY, USA

2019

Inner Reflection, Outward Transformation: The Art of Li Hongwei, Pucker Gallery, Boston, MA, USA
Beyond Reflection: The Art of Li Hongwei, Oil Art Space, Ningbo, China

2014

Hong Wei Sculpture Art Exhibition, No. 1 Space, Tangshan, China

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2027

Art in Public Project, Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, MA, USA (Opening: beginning of Jul, 2027 for 5 years)

2026

The Armory Show, Alisan Fine Arts, New York, USA

2025

Collection on View: Art of Asia, Phoenix Art Museum, Phoenix, AZ, USA

2023

Collection on View, Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, MO, USA

2021-2023

Collection on View, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia, PA, USA

2019

Art in Embassy, US Embassy in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Bishkek
Collection on View, Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
New acquisition On View, Alfred Ceramic Art Museum, Alfred, NY, USA
2nd Sculpture Projects Pingyao, Pingyao, China

2018

Difference × 2018 China Datong Sculpture Biennale, Datong Art Museum, Datong, China
To Ideal Land of Ceramics: Exhibition of International Contemporary Ceramic Works, Tsinghua University Art Museum, Beijing, China
Fine Choices, Pucker Gallery, Boston, MA, USA

2016-2017

Core Sample: Selections from the Permanent Collection, Alfred Ceramic Art Museum, Alfred University, Alfred, NY, USA

2016

Nomination Exhibition of Chinese Artists, Guan Shanyue Art Museum, Shenzhen, China
1st Contemporary Art Biennale (Nominated), Zhuzhong Art Museum, Beijing, China
Inclined Plane: China Sculpture Group Exhibition, Asia Art Center, Beijing, China
2nd National Exhibition of Contemporary Chinese Ceramic Art, National Art Museum of China, Beijing, China
China Young Artists Domestic Exhibition, Riverside Art Museum, Beijing, China
China Contemporary Abstract Sculpture Art Exhibition, Red Apple Art District, Beijing, China
China Sculpture Institute Art Exhibition, Inside-out Art Museum, Beijing, China

2015

New Form: 2015 Taiyuan International Sculpture Biennale, Taiyuan Museum of Fine Arts, Taiyuan, China
Shuitu-Water and Clay around the World: 1st International Ceramics Exhibition, Qingdao China Sculpture Museum, Qingdao, China
Century Youth: 2015 China Russia International Fine Art Exhibition, Museum of The Imperial College, Beijing, China
Partner, The First Season, Qiao She Gallery, 798 Art District, Beijing, China

2014

20th Anniversary Craft Forms 2014 International Juried Exhibition of Contemporary Craft, Davenport Gallery, Philadelphia, PA, USA
China Interior Ornament International Biennial, Beijing Hotel, China International Convention Center, Beijing, China
12th National Fine Arts Exhibition of China, Taiyuan, China
Member Exhibition of International Academy of Ceramics, Dublin Castle, Ireland

2013

Louvre Museum International Salon, Paris, France
1895 Chinese Contemporary Ceramic Art Exhibition, Nantong, Jiangsu, China

2012

Member Exhibition of International Academy of Ceramics, New Mexico Museum of Art, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA

2010

66th Scripps Ceramic Annual, Ruth Chandler Williamson Gallery, Claremont, CA, USA

2008

In the Beginning: Exploring Origins in Contemporary Art, Fox Art Gallery, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Clay? II Juried Exhibition, Kirkland Art Center, New York, USA

2007

Museum Collection Show, Schein-Joseph International Museum of Ceramic Art, Alfred University, Alfred, NY, USA
13th International Juried Exhibition of Contemporary Craft, Wayne Art Center, Wayne, PA, USA
Contemporary Artwork Exhibition, The Clay Studio, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Sculptures Exhibition, Fosdick-Nelson Gallery, Alfred University, Alfred, NY, USA
Sculptures Exhibition, The Creative Art Center, Wellsville, NY, USA

2006

Juried Exhibition, Space 237 Gallery, Toledo, OH, USA

2005

Exhibition Hall of Central Academy of Fine Arts, Beijing, China

2004

Today Art Gallery, Beijing, China

2003

Exhibition Hall of Central Academy of Fine Arts, Beijing, China
19th International Ice and Snow Festival, Harbin, China

SELECTED AWARDS

2017 Beijing Excellent Talent Grant, Beijing, China
2016 Leading Person of the Cultural and Creative Industries of Beijing, Beijing, China
2015 Talents Project of the Youth Plus Young Artist Project, China National Arts Fund, Beijing, China
2014 Beijing Outstanding Young Talent Grant, Beijing, China
2013 Taylor Prize, 2013 Louvre Museum International Exhibition, Paris, France
Award for Excellence, 1895 China Contemporary Ceramic Art Exhibition, Nantong, China

SELECTED COLLECTIONS

British Museum, London, UK
The Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
Harvard Art Museums, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
The Art Complex Museum, Duxbury, Massachusetts, USA
Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, Missouri, USA
Museum of Art, Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Vassar College Art Museum, Poughkeepsie, New York, USA
Alfred Ceramic Art Museum, Alfred, New York, USA
Herrick Memorial Library, Alfred University, Alfred, New York, USA
Schein-Joseph International Museum of Ceramic Art, Alfred, New York, USA
Everson Museum of Art, Syracuse, New York, USA
Tang Teaching Museum, Saratoga Spring, New York, USA
The Hun School, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
Kalamazoo Institute of Arts, Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA
Crocker Art Museum, Sacramento, California, USA
New Orleans Museum of Art, New Orleans, Los Angeles, USA
University of Kentucky Art Museum, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts, San Angelo, Texas, USA
The Israel Museum, Jerusalem, Israel
Zhuzhong Art Museum, Beijing, China
China APEC International Conference Center, Beijing, China
Long Museum, Shanghai, China
Media Group, Guangzhou, China
MGM COTAI, Macao, China