Contemporary Chinese sculptor and ceramist Li Hongwei (b.1980) attained his bachelor’s degree in sculpture from the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing, and a Master’s in Ceramic Art from the New York State College of Ceramics, in Alfred University. Li challenges binary oppositions within his sculptures through the mixing of stainless steel and traditional Chinese porcelain methods. His education further fuses classic Chinese cultural history and techniques with Western philosophical discourse, immersing “Eastern” and “Western” foundations into his sophisticated investigation into ceramics. Since 2009, he has been a visiting scholar of Alfred University, and has served as a faculty member there. He is a member of the International Academy of Ceramics in Geneva, and the Chinese Sculpture Institute in Beijing.
Li exhibited his works at various international art institutions, including National Art Museum of China, The US Embassy, The New Mexico Museum of Art, The Fox Art Gallery of the University of Pennsylvania, The Art Institute of Chicago, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and The Dublin Castle in Ireland, etc. His sculptures are also in the collections of The British Museum, Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, The Israel Museum, Harvard Art Museums, Philadelphia Museum of Art, etc. Both The Art Institute of Chicago and San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts in Texas hold his works in their permanent collection.
