White Wild Lei (2009) features a single strand of enormous white glass beads, tapering in scale to form a gentle elliptical curve. Echoing the shape of shoulders and neck, the work evokes Hawaiian lei, a garland symbolizing blessings and shared moments. Here, the gesture of hospitality is transformed into contemporary sculpture, extending an open invitation to all viewers.
Created specifically for the Beijing exhibition, Rivière Rose (Rose River) reimagines the artist's signature "bead chain/river" motif as a horizontal landscape. A circular expanse of numerous pink glass bricks spreads across the floor, forming a surface that appears both rippling and spiraling, shaped by wind and gravity.
Produced in collaboration with workshops in India, each brick is mold-cast and annealed by hand, resulting in subtle variations in texture, thickness, and air bubbles -- "one color, many appearances". The work also resonates with Beijing's layered relationship to water and architecture. From historical moats and city canals to contemporary park lakes, water in the city is both natural and constructed, fluid yet bounded. Othoniel translates this memory into a luminous rose-hued river, inviting viewers to walk, pause and read its surface through movement.
The exhibition runs through September 6.