Hongwei Li solo exhibition at the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts

A solo exhibition entitled Balancing the Cosmos: Works by Li Hongwei (MFA Ceramic Art 2007) is on view at the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts through October 2, 2022. Li will give a virtual artist talk from his home in Beijing on July.

The exhibition features work created over the last four years. According to the exhibition statement, "

Li Hongwei’s works combine Eastern and Western aesthetics becoming intersections between traditional Chinese ceramic forms and contemporary glaze and sculptural practices. The artist’s variety of forms-from teardrop-like forms, to bulbous amalgams, or reflective vessels allude to the artist’s interest in Chinese philosophy and the principles of yin and yang. Yin and yang is a Chinese philosophical concept that recognizes how opposite elements can be complementary and even interconnected within the natural world.

From start to finish, the artist’s hand-wrought works are the product of conscious deliberation and meticulous planning. Yet there is an element of spontaneity in the work with his use of crystalline glazes, which create abstract, yet flowering forms and unpredictable finishes. Li Hongwei’s merger of ceramics with stainless steel emphasizes the contradictory nature, yet harmonious possibilities of these materials. This push and pull between form and media imply both a sense of fragility and stability, the expected and unexpected. Balancing the Cosmos will explore how Li Hongwei creates works that represent this delicate balance between traditional and contemporary methods and materials."

Working and living in Beijing and Alfred, New York, Hongwei Li is a Chinese sculptor whose sculptures reshape classic aesthetic through geometric and abstract forms. He completed his master’s degree from the School of Art and Design at Alfred University in 2007. Following his graduation, he served as a faculty member at Alfred and has continued to be a visiting scholar since 2009.

His works have been displayed in numerous locations, including the National Art Museum of China, the Louvre, and the Art Institute of Chicago. He is a member of the Taylor Foundation and was awarded the Taylor Prize by the 2013 France International Salon. He is also a member of the International Academy of Ceramics and the Chinese Sculpture Institute.