Modern Chinese Art Movement Through Paper Sculptures

Li Hongbo’s creative spark was ignited early on in his life. Growing up in China, he was fascinated with the flexible nature of paper through the paper toys he played with and the paper lanterns around him. Graduating with masters in both folk and experimental art, Hongbo, 39, was once a book editor, publisher, and an ancient books specialist. It was only natural that this bibliophile would turn to his love of paper when it came to his next venture. His creation process involves gluing thousands and thousands of paper in narrow strips and then shaping them with a band saw and an angle grinder. He has turned out Greco-Roman busts which look like they are made from marble but once picked up, the pieces become fluid and accordion-like. Michelangelo and “The Goddess of the Parthenon” are just two examples of his works which can range from $10,000 and up.