Born in 1977, Li Hui graduated from the Central Academy of Fine Arts in 2003. He resides and works in Beijing, and actively holds exhibitions in the major cities of Asia, Europe and America. Li Hui’s works are based on two creative themes: working with laser and LED as media to explore new expressions of art that is integrated with high technology; and using “conceptual” sculptures and space installations to portray observations and reflections on the rapid transformation of the Chinese society. In the competitive new generation of Chinese artists in which new talents constantly emerge, Li Hui is one of the few capable of effectively using a variety of new media while exploring serious humanistic issues.
Li Hui’s artistic philosophy is built on the Zen couplet: “An eternity of endless space; a day of wind and moon,” and he often juxtaposes different aspects and the contradictions of time. In his creations, the artist portrays the present as replaced by the wheel of history, depicting the rapid transformation of what was once sea into land. Additionally, the works’ content often refers to the eternal vitality of the wheel of life, and a continuous spiritual pursuit. He integrates emotional atmosphere with rational operation, deliberately employing modern industrial technology as a medium to explore the state of mankind, life and psychological fear. Such a process results in depictions of life and spiritual issues, such as transmigration, life and death, transcendence, conflict, expansion, compression and uncertainty.
The laser installations of Li Hui create theaters of light with dazzling visual effects, adopting different appearances according to space and perspective. A dual atmosphere of “motion within stillness/stillness within motion” is produced, bestowing on the audience a sudden feeling of uncertainty. These laser installations are unlike other art appreciation experiences that emphasize interactivity, instead focusing on the artist’s observations of life and society. In addition, Li Hui has created a series of physical “conceptual sculptures.” Some of them use stacked layers of acrylic to represent the graceful appearances of “ethereal entities,” such as deities and other creatures, emerging from bright and transparent masses. Others display war machines and large creatures sealed and imprisoned within a “restrictive framework” that is built with metallic materials.
Of the two sets in the series, the former uses shapeless light to allow the audience to experience a spatial theater of science fiction, while the latter invokes the concepts of absorption and resistance to lure the audience into contemplating the uniquely styled, large sculptures.