This Artist Creates Striking Metal Sculptures Using Stacked Pipes

Yi Chul Hee is a South Korean sculptor who creates striking metal sculptures using stacked pipes. By carefully cutting and arranging these pipes, he forms detailed images that shift depending on the viewer’s angle. His work often depicts people, animals, and abstract designs, with empty spaces playing just as big a role as the metal itself. This unique approach gives his sculptures a halftone effect, making them look different from every perspective.

Beyond technique, Yi Chul Hee’s art carries deep messages. One of his works exhibited in Gwanghwamun in 2018, symbolizes anti-war and peace with the phrase "We are one." He expressed his desire to donate this piece to a meaningful place, emphasizing unity and hope. His sculptures have been exhibited internationally and are widely shared online, where viewers can see the depth and detail of his art.

More info: Instagram | yichulhee.com

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"This is a work that symbolizes anti-war and peace—We Are One. I would like to donate this piece to a meaningful place. It also represents reversal and peace. (2018, Gwanghwamun exhibition scene)."

Pictolic reached out to Yi Chul Hee to learn more about his creative process and inspirations. We were curious about what led him to choose metal pipes as his primary medium. "The pipework was inspired by the sharp, cut surface at the tip of a syringe needle while receiving an injection," the artist shared. "So the meaning of a pipe is life. Every living thing has a blood vessel, and that blood vessel is a pipe. The pipe is the line of life.

We're talking about pieces of pipe, but they're actually pieces of space in a pipe, and these spaces are stacked together. You can feel a certain rhythm and feel the rhythm of the pattern that changes depending on the direction you see. Especially from the front, it is characterized by a transparent phenomenon that reflects the other side."

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When asked about the themes of his sculptures, Yi Chul Hee explained that love, life, and happiness are the central themes of his work. "It also contains the image of humans overcoming limits and the work of men and women facing each other. The main theme is love, the guardian god who protects humans, and the meaning of communication between them."

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Working on such intricate sculptures presents its challenges. For Yi Chul Hee, the material is not plastic or paper, making it difficult to sharpen with force. "So, architecture, mathematics, and science. It's a piece connected to the high-tech industry. The shape of thousands of pipes together forms a figure where thousands of aspirations come together as one. It's a symbol of unity, representing the whole through one."

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Many of Yi Chul Hee's works depict moving human figures or animals. According to the artist, they all represent human desires. "I want love, peace, happiness, stability, and success. What’s happening on Earth right now is none of those things. I hate war."

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