Beijing-based artist Li Hongbo creates classical busts that wouldn’t look out of place at the Met... except that they’re made entirely out of paper and bend like a Slinky. For the past several years, he’s showed off springy skulls, stretching nudes, and expanding cubes. Last week, production company Kid Guy Collective and the Klein Sun Gallery in New York published a new video showcasing some of his most sophisticated work. The sculptures are carved from thousands of sheets of glued paper that form a flexible honeycomb. At rest, it’s virtually impossible to tell they’re not a solid block, but as the video shows, appearances are deceiving.
Watch classical sculptures stretch and twist into paper Slinkys
is a senior tech and policy editor focused on online platforms and free expression. Adi has covered virtual and augmented reality, the history of computing, and more for The Verge since 2011.
Though you can see other sculptures by Li in a 2013 profile, this short does a particularly good job of capturing their surreal beauty. These pieces and others are on display at the Klein Sun Gallery, where they will remain until March 22nd.
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