Story | Leslie Yip & Connie Li Photography | Guerlain
Priced between $1,850 and more than $6,000, Guerlain’s Orchidée Impériale Black Art Edition by Li Hongbo is an ultimate skincare luxury.
Limited to 500 sets worldwide, the Trilogy Case includes The Cream in its artistic version designed by Li Hongbo (50 ml), the Symbioserum (30ml) and the Eye and Lip Contour Cream (20ml), all packaged in a lacquered wood box. $4,580.
In this worldwide exclusive interview, we talk to the artist about his design inspiration and his view on what is luxury.
“The Exception Piece” is the crowning jewel of the Orchidée Impériale Black Art Edition. Not only does it come with Li’s paper sculptural pedestal, but the porcelain jar is specially made by a former Maître d’Atelier at Maison Bernardaud, who reproduced Li Hongbo’s drawings by hand with 24-karat grand feu painting. Applied virtually tone on tone, the painting only reveals its gold when it is fired. Limited to 15 pieces worldwide, it is priced at 6,000 euros (CAD$8,100) and currently not available in Canada.
Created in 2016, Guerlain’s Orchidée Impériale Black harnesses the resilient power of a rare black orchid endemic to the Peruvian Andes. Its scientific name, Cycnoches Cooperi, refers to the shape of its ebony-coloured flowers, which are curved like a swan’s neck. Found at an altitude of between 500 and 1,500 metres, and under a dense forest canopy, it grows with practically no sunlight.
Li Hongbo is creating a spectacular white paper sculpture featuring orchid flowers as the pedestal for the jar.
This black orchid was chosen from among more than 30,000 species because of its remarkable ability to adapt to the environment. Guerlain’s cutting-edge research developed Black Immune technology to encapsulate its power to help skin defend and protect itself, so it can devote all its resources to regeneration. Skin becomes smoother, denser to the touch, more luminous and more resilient, for longer.
The sculpture is created using a sculpting machine to polish the contours, then a small sculpting knife to finish off the details. It often takes one to two months to create a piece, each step requiring meticulous polishing.
With the introduction of the Art Edition, this exceptional cream can be rediscovered, beautifully enhanced by the artwork of Li Hongbo, a Beijing-based artist who is internationally renowned for his paper
creations.
The spectacular white paper sculpture as a pedestal for the cream’s black jar can unfold like a fan.
His signature work is a form of paper sculpture, in which he meticulously cuts out sheets of paper that are layered to reconstruct an object. At first glance, it may look like a marble or wood sculpture, but upon touching, magic unfolds, revealing an almost-fluid form that ebbs and flows in your hand. A typical sculpture is made up of 7,000 to 26,000 sheets of white paper, stacked on top of each other and glued manually in a honeycomb structure reminiscent of traditional paper lanterns.
Inspired by nature and ancestral Chinese art, the Art Edition of The Cream features Li Hongbo’s detailed line drawing, which is reproduced by Maison Bernardaud in 24-carat gold on a black porcelain jar. Limited 1,000 pieces worldwide. 50 ml | $1,850
Li’s iconic work has been exhibited in the most revered museums across five continents. For Guerlain’s Orchidée Impériale Black Art Edition, his contribution is two-fold. On the precious gleaming black porcelain jars, which take 50 craftsman one month to produce, you will find his meticulous drawing, rendered in 24-karat gold. He has also created a spectacular white paper sculpture featuring orchid flowers as the pedestal for the jar.
Coined “The Exceptional Piece” in the Art Edition, only 15 sets are available for sale. Considering that Li’s paper sculptures are rarely available for sale, and when they do, they command five figures, the 6,000-euro price tag (CAD$8,100) seems like a steal.
To dwell deeper into the concept of the design, we spoke to Li about this momentous collaboration with one of the most prestigious French marques.
eG: As a male designer, how do you approach the design of the Black Orchid so that it resonates with female consumers?
Li: The orchid is an important symbol in Chinese culture. The flower is often used to refer to the gracefulness, elegance and purity of the female form, but I feel that it also describes the resilience and aspirations of the modern woman. I hope my interpretation of the black orchid transcends the boundaries of culture and time and gender, as beauty is eternal and universal. As an artist, my goal is to capture the essence of the flower, and the gender of the artist is immaterial to the pursuit of beauty.
eG: What are your biggest considerations and challenges in designing this piece?
Li: Paper sculpture is, in itself, a challenging art. You may have an idea in your mind, but does it work as a three-dimensional piece? From the grain of the paper to the movement of the carving knife, every rendition can be different. It was a long and mindful explorative process to study the interaction of the medium, as well
as the technique used in order to determine the perfect way to bring my concept to life.
eG: What is the inspiration of your design? How do you convey the feeling of luxury that this product stands for?
Li: My design is a tribute to traditional Chinese line art, and it formed the basis of my design.
I think that being able to represent the black orchid, from bud to bloom, on paper is quite a poetic endeavour. That is why the simplicity of white paper works. It lets you appreciate its beauty without colour. It also allows me to give this orchid “an eternal life”.
Indeed, I want this work of art to be a source of the appreciation of life. When you come face to face with the sculpture, you are met with beauty, emotion, passion and vitality. To me, that is luxury, just as the human life is the greatest gift of creation. There is nothing grander than our present moment.
eG: You were quoted to describe this work for Guerlain with “Like the orchid, time stands still for you.” Can you explain what you mean by that?
Li: I was inspired by a 10-word Chinese poem. It translates to “orchid leaves luxuriant in spring, osmanthus flowers bright under the autumn moon.” In just 10 words, you are surrounded by so many sensorial delights: the graceful lines of orchid leaves, the bustling lushness of spring, the bright moonlight in the fall, the fragrance of osmanthus and the passage of the seasons. It appeals to your senses of sight, hearing, smell and inner perception. Such is the romance of the Chinese language.
But alas, how do we pause time? Perhaps we cannot, but when we strive to live each moment well, and create warm memories to savour later, we have not let time pass in vain. I hope when you touch my sculpture, you will have the feeling that eternal life and beauty is in your hand, and you are also a step towards everlasting
beauty.
eG: Your design is also featured in the porcelain container of the product. As a paper sculpture artist, how do you apply your concept to work with both materials?
Li: China has been producing high-quality porcelain for thousands of years, and China is also the country that invented paper. So, the combination of porcelain and paper feels natural. In fact, as successors of these cultural products, we do not need to give it deliberate thoughts, as porcelain and paper are naturally compatible. If we take life as an analogy, porcelain is the bones and paper is the skin. One is hard and one is soft. They protect each other, intertwining and interdependent.
