Working in both two and three dimensions, Chinese-born Yibai Liao (b. 1971) is best known for his hand-welded stainless steel sculptures that continuously question today’s skewed concept of value by depicting China’s rags-to-riches story of material obsession. The oversized ostentatious sculptures of watches, rings, handbags, and high heel shoes confront the multitudes of popular brands and logos and their overwhelming presence in today’s society. The work examines this increasing obsession with opulence and luxury goods while discrediting and glorifying it. He simultaneously explores the cultural exchange that has taken place between China and the West following the death of Mao Zedong (shortly after the artist’s birth), symbolized by the role of “icons” such as Mickey Mouse or a McDonald’s hamburger in Liao’s art and memory. These cultural mega-symbols exist side by side with traces of traditional Chinese arts, in the form of meticulous re-interpretations of vases and paintings, throughout Liao’s oeuvre. Thus, the artist’s works illustrate the challenges he faced during childhood ­ and his paralleled fascination with American culture.

Yibai Liao’s artworks are represented in numerous renowned public and private art collections including Steve Wynn, the Eileen S. Kaminsky Family Foundation, and the MGM National Harbor in Maryland. He is a graduate of the acclaimed Sichaun Academy of Fine Art, and he has exhibited at institutions including the Fort Collins Museum of Art, the Brattleboro Museum, the Aarhus Kunstmuseum, and the Guangdong Museum.

Yibai Liao currently lives and works in Beacon, NY.