[WATCH] Balancing Dualities: The Sculpture of Li Hongwei - A Conversation with the Artist

Dr Daryl Ward, Executive Director of the Ashley Gibson Barnett Museum of Art in Lakeland, Florida, interviews sculptor Li Hongwei during the Members’ Opening Reception on September 25, 2026.

Balancing Dualities presents the innovative work of contemporary Chinese sculptor and ceramicist Li Hongwei. Best known for combining centuries-old Chinese ceramic practices with sculptural innovation, Li creates work that challenges our perceptions of material, balance, and form. Through the juxtaposition of materials such as fragile porcelain and polished stainless steel, his work explores relationships between fragility and strength, tradition and modernity, and Eastern and Western philosophies. Rather than illustrating literal concepts, his sculptures invite contemplation and reveal how seemingly opposing forces can coexist in harmony and give meaning to each other.