Beijing-based artist Li Hongbo—featured here with his fantastic malleable paper statues—created this neat series of silhouettes carved out from butcher's knife blades.

This artwork, called Shadow of Knives, was presented earlier this month in a solo exhibition at Contemporary By Angela Li. The gallerist writes:

In this series, the metal sculptures are in the shapes of knives with carved out parts. This shape is unique to China and a few Asian countries – those living in these parts of Asia will instantly recognize it as a food chopping knife more widely used by the older generation. Food forms a very special part in Chinese culture - gathering for meals is a way to bond with families and friends, especially during festivals and special occasions. The Chinese are also known for "eating almost everything that moves". Li carved patterns out of his blades. The carved out parts – the shadows - mirror the hollow parts of the knives.