A New York City gallery is featuring the mind-bending works of an artist who trades plaster for paper to recreate classic sculptures.
Artist Li Hongbo designed dozens of bust sculptures made entirely out of small pieces of paper for a 2014 exhibit at the Klein Sun Gallery, though the works are still housed there today. The sculptures were recently featured by BuzzFeed.
The unique materials are still attracting attention and acclaim nearly three years later.
All of the sculptures are flexible and can be stretched, twisted, and elongated before returning to their original shape. The demonstrations are typically done by gallery staff but occasionally visitors can test out the sculptures themselves, owner Eli Klein tells NBC 4 New York.
The majority of the pieces are bust sculptures created by gluing thousands of pieces of paper together, according to the Klein Sun website. Hongbo uses honeycomb-like structures to create the works, a technique inspired by traditional Chinese decorations.
"His reinvention of the material's form challenges viewers' expectations of the medium as an artistic vehicle," according to Hongbo's biography on the Klein Sun gallery website.
The unique art comes at a hefty price, however: the white busts range from $18,000 to $60,000 each.
Li Hongbo's artwork has been featured around the world, including Australia, Germany, and Italy.
