flexible honeycomb paper sculptures by li hongbo

flexible honeycomb paper sculptures by li hongbo detailed view of ‘flexible woman’ by li hongbo, 2010 paper dimensions variable all images courtesy eli klein fine art

beijing-based artist and designer li hongbo manipulates sheets of brown paper into sensuous three-dimensional sculptures. hongbo explores the malleability of the medium — his portfolio is comprised of a collection of artworks which employ the traditional techniques of the chinese children’s toy known as ‘paper gourd’ in which elaborate shapes are formed from a stack of interconnected sheets. the strategically placed lines of glue join thousands of sheets into units which are then sculpted by the artist into artworks recalling the human form. their flexible shapes both resemble a person’s body, yet, the free range of movement enabled by the connected material allows for an unreal hyper-extension or elongation of the figure’s limbs. the result of hongbo’s experimentation with this medium is a body of surrealistic works formed by the traditional chinese decorative technique of honeycombed paper. pieces by li hongbo are on display in the show ‘material → object’ at eli klein fine art in new york city from may 29th through july 19th, 2012. 

a wide perspective of ‘flexible woman’

‘smart little man’, 2012 paper 51 1/2 x 26 inches (131 x 66cm)

‘flexible human’, 2010 paper 66 1/4 x 18 1/4 x 11 1/4 inches (170 x 48 x 30 cm)

‘flexible woman’, 2010 paper dimensions variable