Broken porcelain takes on a whole new life in Li Xiaofeng’s unique creations. He painstakingly re-works ceramic fragments into dresses and suits, “rearranged landscapes” of Chinese history, culture and collective memory. Post-orientalist gems that combine poetry, majesty and an unmistakably contemporary feel.
Li Xiaofeng studied at Hubei Huanggang College, originally training as a muralist before turning to sculpture, and completed graduate courses at the Central Academy of Fine Arts, Beijing, in 2002. For many years, Xiaofeng had been drawn to porcelain as a medium, researching and collecting ancient fragments. These shards from the Song, Ming, Yuan and Qing dynasties are then shaped, polished and meticulously arranged into spectacular wearable artworks. Traditional symbolic meanings come into play — red represents blood and life, while Ming blue expresses vigour and vitality — in pieces which masterfully blend ancient and contemporary visual languages. As the artist explains, his re-worked garments “emanate the splendour once crushed.”
Since 2002, Xiaofeng has participated in group shows in China, France and USA, including at prestigious venues such as the Museum of Contemporary Art, Beijing, Musee des Arts et Metiers, Paris and The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. His work is held by collections including Lacoste, Paris, Louis Vuitton, Shanghai and The Opposite House, Beijing.
