ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Wenbin Li's Numerous Difference project transforms 100 coastal stones into graphic identity system

architecture-design · 2026-04-09

Wenbin Li worked on a project called Numerous Difference, where he gathered 100 stones from a coastline, numbering each one and noting its exact location. Back in his studio, he carefully outlined each stone, creating 100 unique silhouettes for a graphic identity system. These designs, shaped by natural erosion, appear in four variations: solid black, dotted grain, concentric lines, and gradient shading. This system is applied to various items like posters, packaging, a billboard, and a tote bag, featuring the silhouettes with their numbers and collection times. The title 一百不同 translates to 'one hundred differences' and 'one stone, different.' He also created a spatial installation with paper sheets, shaped like the stones, and returned all stones to their original spots after the exhibition.

Key facts

  • Designer Wenbin Li collected 100 stones sequentially along a coastline
  • Each stone was numbered and its exact coastal position recorded
  • Li hand-traced all 100 stone outlines to create unique silhouettes
  • Four visual treatments were applied: solid black, stippled grain, concentric contours, and gradient shading
  • The graphic system appears on posters, packaging, billboards, and tote bags
  • Printed outputs include each silhouette's number and collection time
  • Project title 一百不同 means 'one hundred differences' but can be read as 'one stone, different'
  • After exhibition, all stones were returned to their original coastal positions

Entities

Artists

Institutions

  • designboom

Sources