Lee Li

石胎 Ore Afterbirth 1391

In ancient times, following the movement of the earth's crust and the rise and fall of lava, the interior of a rock began to crystallise. A huge piece of Celestite was formed. In the same mine as it was a small patch of fluorite and white mica. Then the human beings began to set foot. People opened the mine, a ray of light was cut through the darkness of the mine and shone on the ore as if the light had come from one part of the sky to another part of the sky that lay beneath the earth. Over a long period of time, it grows into a form of life.

雕筑 Carving and Building 1432

Human civilisation began to develop. It was discovered by ancient human adventurers, who found it so special. Dozens of the most famous stonemasons of that time excavated and polished it, all with great effort and respect.

The natural fragility of this stone meant that it could not be hammered or molten. Its shape was made by the craftsman's hands by rubbing and grinding it with mere fine sand for seven months, the finer details carved with a stone knife made of fluorite, and it was finally made into a Celestite Vase that was presented to the noble family. It was a rare and precious object, treasured by almost everyone.

碎青 Shattered Cyan 1987

Over the decades, it has moved from museum to museum, auction house to black market, experiencing the glory and the discomfort of the world.

As it was being transported, as it always is, into an exhibition hall for countless times, it was accidentally shattered by a porter. In just one moment, its value in human society fell by the wayside. From a noble antique, the only one of its kind in the world, it became a scrap pieces of Celestite that could be found everywhere.

The porter secretly disposed of all the stone fragments privately to avoid responsibility. Within days, it was sent to a stone disposal centre, where it was mixed with other types of stone, unable to recover even fragments of itself.