Sculpture Shang-Yii Hua

Shang-Yii Hua(1967-)

Shang-Yi Hua was born in Taiwan and moved to the United States as a college student.  Shang-Yi considers her work to be a sacred part of her own spiritual practice, and she often utilizes contrasts (between eastern and western culture, between natural and manufactured components, and between form and void) to express this personal journey. Sculpture is her way of articulating deeply-held truths to the world.

Shang-Yi Hua studied in Glassell’s renowned BLOCK program and has exhibited widely throughout Houston and beyond. She was represented by the Cindy Lisica Gallery, where her work gained pride of place in the Texas Contemporary Art Fair in both 2016 and 2018. Her work has been exhibited and collected widely, and in 2020 she received Honorable Mention in Artspace 111’s annual Texas-wide juried exhibition.  She has recently become a certified Kintsugi instructor.  Shang-Yi’s public art is currently exhibited in Houston from 2022 to 2023.

Solo Exhibition

Group Exhibitions

Award

Art Fairs

Press

Commission Work

Overcome
2017
Tree, Steel
80″H, 120″W, 50″D

In Overcome a branch, organic and twisted, meets an angular metallic construction that mirrors its form. The two opposite branches hover horizontally, as if floating – suspended above the floor. This work and its conjunction of disparate forms is inspired by Christ sacrifice, and his desire to overcome differences between those that are seemingly opposite.

LET IT PASS
2017
Drift wood, saw blade
15″ H, 17.5″ W, 2″ D

One of a four part series, Let It Pass, combines two conflicting materials – saw blades and wood. A metaphor for forgiveness, the blade scars the tree, cutting pieces from its trunk and separating it from its whole. Here however, perpetrator and victim are joined, turning conflict into harmony. With this piece, the artist hopes to emphasize that forgiveness, though often grueling – is a choice.

Precede
2018
Steel bar, seed pod
77″H, 55″W, 22″D

Precede’s dynamic, dancing form replicates the ancient Chinese character for cloud. The sculpture was inspired by Exodus 13:21, a bible story where God leads the Israelites out of Egypt guiding them with a cloud column. With this work, the artist explores themes of protection and guidance. The body of the sculpture, comprised of overlapping seed pods, similarly echoes this message. The pods are incredibly tough and hard to break through – they shield the vulnerable seed inside ensuring the survival and success of the next generation.

Hollow
2019
Tree bark
4”H, 12”W, 5”D

This work is meant to signify the fleeting nature of all earthly things. As tightly as we may hold on to wealth, power, or stability, these things are never permanent. “There is nothing new under the sun,” is a verse from Ecclesiastes which has made its way into everyday speech, but here it refers to the cyclical and impermanent nature of life on earth.

Lover- Interaction
2019
Rice Paper, Board
24.5”H, 53”W, 8”D

This dimensional paper work utilizes the Chinese character for the word “Love.” The character is reflected in a mirror image, signifying the infinite doubling of goodness that is possible through loving actions. Because I view love as a verb, and not merely a word or abstraction, the paper is given dimensionality. It dynamically rises from the surface.

Half life
2020
Resin
3.5”H, 13.5”W, 6”D

The mood of this piece is one of mourning-for lives lost and endangered by disease, and also for lives imperiled by the downstream effects of so many single-use items entering our shared environment. The materials saving the lives of healthcare workers during this pandemic also contribute to global pollution, a massive problem we have yet to address sufficiently. The title of the work refers both to the feeling of living in our current liminal state, and also to the chemical half-life of plastic waste.

Progress
2020
Plexiglass, Found object
7”H, 26”W, 27”D

Constructed from a found object (bronze compass) and clear resin, this sculpture represents a moment of breakthrough. Since my artwork is part of my spiritual practice, this piece represents the way that guidance from God allows me to overcome barriers in both the spiritual and creative realms.

GOING HOME
Steel, pine cone, wire
38”H, 10”W, 12”D

Each pinecone took about forty minutes to carefully deconstruct, and as I stripped these seed pods I thought of the continuity of life that they represent. Made of delicate, individual seeds, the pinecones are part of a larger life cycle that can result in a beautiful tree that lives for decades. They are just as likely to be crushed or discarded, but the enduring truth of the species lives on. These small sculptures speak to the enormous potential and the fragility of human life, and the acts of faith and love that connect us to one another.

The Wind
2022
Steel
59”H, 14”W, 35”D

The Wind’s dynamism is intended to evoke feelings of weightlessness and ascension Echoing the shape of a dove from some angles, this sculpture speaks to the ever-presence of the Holy Spirit and the freedom he brings.

Source of life, Source of love
2022
PVC pipe, Steel
83”H, 41”W, 24”D

In Source of Life, Source of Love, PVC pipe is stacked into the shape of a teardrop. The use of the hollow PVC juxtaposes volume and negative space – making the sculpture appear to be incredibly heavy, or almost weightless and transparent depending on where the viewer stands. The sculpture acts as a symbol for the artist’s faith – embodying the Bible verse John 11:35 where Jesus wept out of empathy for his friends. Here, the artist calls attention to the necessity of compassion for life. Just as water is a life giving source, so is empathy and care.