Li Wei and Liu Zhiyin are a famous couple of sculptors. They were both born in 1980 and both graduated from the Lu Xun Academy of Fine Arts. Initially, Liu Zhiyin, who studied Fashion Design, was only Li Wei's sculpture model, but in the process of playing the role of a model, Liu Zhiyin was infected by the art of sculpture and took up the path of sculpture creation. In 2007, Li Wei and Liu Zhiyin set up a studio together, officially starting their artistic career in collaboration. Since 2013, they have held four solo exhibitions in Shanghai, Beijing and Shenzhen respectively. Their artworks have been collected by individuals and art institutions such as the Long Museum in Shanghai and the Nanjing Museum.
Li Wei often describes their relationship as "rational and sensual". Li Wei, a sculpture major, specialises in figurative realism or surrealism, while Liu Zhiyin, a costume design major, can give the sculptures a more tense and delicate artistic language. Their collaboration has resulted in sculptures that combine cartoon and realism, traditional Eastern imagery and classical Western sculpture. They are best known for their "China Doll" figures, which are realistic yet exaggerated, round and full yet light and agile (Night is Silent Waiting, 2015).
Despite their differences in thinking, both Li Wei and Liu Zhiyin are delicate and gentle personalities. This is why Li Wei and Liu Zhiyin are more concerned with the small moments of everyday life than the grand and serious themes of art. They hope to use their own life experiences as clues to search for the temperament and inner world unique to the current era, and to show the warmth and beauty of human and natural creatures (Tiger, 2020). The experience of teaching at university has led them to use "Youthful memories" as a clue to create the beautiful but sad "China Doll". The experience of becoming a parent led them to create sculptures on the theme of "Protection" (Little Universe, 2016), showing the tenderness and care of humanity.
Li Wei and Liu Zhiyin usually use materials such as bronze and stainless steel to create their sculptures. They believe that the higher plasticity and mellowness of bronze allows them to better adjust the material, colour and oriental flavour, and helps to express emotions. In The King, for example, Li Wei and Liu Zhiyin use the image of a stray cat to bring out the emotions of "resilience" and "self-esteem" in a very strong way. The strong interaction between stainless steel and light allows the sculptures to be better integrated into the outdoor landscape, prompting the viewer to rethink everything in the surrounding world through the artwork (Butterfly, 2014).