08/07/2026
Amazing!
For more than two decades, Chinese artist Shen Lie-Yi has explored the beauty of water through his ongoing Rain series, transforming fleeting moments into enduring sculptures.
Growing up in Hangzhou, surrounded by lakes, rivers, and the historic Grand Canal, Shen developed a lifelong fascination with water. Those early experiences continue to shape his work, inspiring him to explore the relationship between natural forces and human perception.
Beginning in 2001, the Rain series was inspired by a simple illustration of rainfall in a science textbook. Shen captures the precise instant a raindrop strikes a surface, translating its expanding ripples into meticulously carved sculptures.
Using materials such as Shanxi black granite, black obsidian, and carbon fiber, Shen creates a striking contrast between the permanence of stone and the fleeting nature of water. Though the sculptures remain completely still, their carefully carved surfaces seem to pulse with movement, preserving a moment that would otherwise disappear in an instant.
Rooted in ideas found in Daoist philosophy, the series brings together opposing qualities such as softness and strength, fluidity and permanence. Rather than imitating water, Shen's sculptures allow these contrasting forces to coexist, transforming a brief natural phenomenon into a timeless work of art.
Artist: Shen Lie-Yi
