The Artist of Life: Bruce Lee Foundation

Balance

2025

Nunchuck sculpture dimensions (individual):

19.5 in × 6.5 in × 3 in

Overall dimensions:

6 in × 10 5/8 in × 30 in

Materials:

Porcelain, glaze, Kevlar, copper, wood, graphite, and epoxy

Description:

Balance (2025) is created in homage to Bruce Lee’s extraordinary legacy, his pursuit of harmony, his lasting contributions to martial arts, and the doors he opened for Asian Americans in the cinematic arts. As an Asian American artist, I wanted to honor the way he gave generations someone who looked like them in a position of strength and possibility.

The nunchuck forms were individually thrown on a potter’s wheel, then refined, glazed, and bound with Kevlar, copper, and wood elements. Their proportions reference the final pair Bruce Lee used in Game of Death. The black and yellow palette draws from traditional Chinese symbolism, where black represents the water element and depth, and yellow is one of the most important colors in Chinese culture, historically known as imperial yellow, symbolizing vitality, prosperity, and authority. The yellow crackle glaze which originated in the Yuan Dynasty in China during the 11th century carries added significance as the subtle, branching crack patterns suggest living pathways, giving the form an inner life and energy. Together these elements express balance, strength, and legacy. The connecting strand between the two handles is hand-knotted macramé, created in a pattern inspired by the double helix of DNA. It symbolizes lineage, transmission, and the way Bruce Lee’s influence continues to evolve through generations of martial artists and thinkers.