From Ireland to China: Paddy Campbell's Wind & Sea Crowns New Hangzhou Landmark
Monumental 4.30-Metre Bronze Marks the Formal Inauguration of Hangzhou's Newest Complex on 29 October
Irish sculptor Paddy Campbell's bronze work takes pride of place at the entrance of a major new development in Hangzhou, China.
Hangzhou, China - 29 October 2026
Irish sculptor Paddy Campbell's monumental bronze sculpture Wind & Sea stands at the entrance of Hangzhou's newest landmark complex as the development celebrates its formal inauguration today, 29 October, marking the completion of its residential, business and hotel spaces.
Standing approximately 4.10 metres high, Wind & Sea was first symbolically unveiled on 16 September, as part of the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the complex's ground-floor commercial area. Today's inauguration marks the full realisation of that moment, with Campbell's sculpture now anchoring the development as its centrepiece.
The sculpture forms part of “La Forma e l'Invisibile”, an exhibition of Italian sculpture presented by Frilli Gallery (Italy) and TCC (Hangzhou), running from 16 September 2026 to 10 August 2027 at the ICC C.F. Koo Building, Qianjiang Century City, Hangzhou.
About Wind & Sea
Wind & Sea captures the elemental, ever-shifting relationship between two of nature's most powerful forces. Campbell describes the two elements as locked in a dance of tension and tenderness, dancing, playing, teasing, flirting and touching, before rising together in a storm that reaches for the stars and the moon.
About Paddy Campbell
Paddy Campbell is a sculptor from Ireland. Though he loved creating shapes as a child, it was not until the age of 60 that he discovered his gift for figurative sculpture. In the 25 years since, he has dedicated himself to the craft, creating works in bronze and marble.
Paddy Campbell’s studio is in Florence, Italy. In 2023 he received the prestigious “Giotto e Dell ‘Angelico” award for his contribution to art and culture in Tuscany.
The idea for Wind & Sea first came to Campbell in his dreams. He spent the following year captivated by the challenge of bringing wind and sea to life, drawn from watching a storm whip the waves along the coast, an image that revealed to him the increasingly tempestuous, intimate relationship between the two elements.
In the Artist's Words
“I'm privileged to take part in this exhibition with Frilli Gallery in Hangzhou. To have my work presented here in China - the land of warriors, fiery dragons, ancient cities, and defiant gates, is one of the great moments of my life as an artist.”
~ Paddy Campbell
Exhibition at: “La Forma e l'Invisibile”, ICC C.F. Koo Building, Qianjiang Century City, Hangzhou, China. The city of Hangzhou is a United Nations World Heritage site.