The conceptual artist Li Hui was born in Beijing in 1977, an era when China was undergoing rapid development and transitions. The dramatic and fast-changing environment in this period of fast development contributed to social phenomena including anxiety caused by the rapid transformation and change. Many of Li Hui’s works reflect a common background and collective mentality shared by people from this specific period of China’s recent history. In particular, the artist is superb in his adroit use of contemporary technologies and components, utilizing the approach of sculpting to create a psychological state of instability.

Amber – Dragon is primarily composed a dragon skeleton and translucent rocket-shaped casing. The contrast between the interior and exterior components renders what seems a stable piece of work infinite with imagination and imageries. Rockets are an industrial product of modern civilization, while dragons are a fantastical and mythical organism in the traditional cultures; this contrast and conflict in the outer and the inner reflects Li Hui’s contemplative observation of the state of mind of Chinese people. The skeleton that supports the organism and the casing that contains surface characteristics represent different cultures, signifying the contrast of the spirits and the psyche, as well as symbolizing contradictory issues within contemporary Chinese society.

Li Hui’s conceptual art works show a diverse and mixed use of a wide range of contemporary materials and mediums, with a rational combination in terms of production, perceptually yielding a poetic dimension. His works successfully integrate all numerous materials to create imageries while expressing certain statements and creating a unique science-influenced aesthetic.