About the project
The Bruce Lee Public Sculpture Project is a new initiative by the Chinese Historical Society of America, the Rose Pak Community Foundation and the countless community members of San Francisco. The outcome goal of the project is producing and installing a full scale bronze sculpture of Bruce Lee to be located in Portsmouth Square park.
About the Sculpture
The sculpture will have three sections including Section A: the sculpture, Section B: the base, and Section C: the foundational plinth. See example image here:
The Sculpture shall be life-size and, together with the base and plinth will measure approximately eight feet three inches (8’3”), high. The Sculpture, Base and Plinth shall be approximately three feet three inches (3’3”), in both length and width.
Attached to the plinth shall be a plaque made of bronze which includes the artist’s name, the major donors and organizations that created this work, the date created and a dedication statement.
The sculpture will be made of a common high-quality silicone bronze alloy specifically a BC Type 3 and silicon bronze. The statue is securely mounted by inserting pins into the pedestal. We will use epoxy-based urethane adhesive.
To install the stone pedestal, a perfectly flat concrete base is required, and an area of at least 2.25 m² must be prepared. This must be prepared on-site in advance.
The weight of the statue is about 882 pounds.The base is to be made of bronze in the alloy ratio as the sculpture. The shape, size, and material of the plinth are black Korean granite.
The statue, base, and plinth together are designed to weigh less than 3,000 pounds combined weight, and the footprint of the plinth/podium is designed to be large enough not to exert more than 100 pounds per square foot on the park.
The pose selected for sculpture is a pose from the film Enter the Dragon depicted below. The artist will remove the slash marks from the chest and face but the rest of the pose and costume will remain the same. The type of patina used to finish the sculpture’s surface is yet to be determined.
The fabrication will take place in three phases. The artist will make a small scale sculpture maquette. Once this is approved, then the artist will enter phase two and make a 3D scan of the object. This will then be 3D printed at the final scale by the foundry managers. The 3D full scale final sculpture will then be approved by the artist and CHSA, and it will go to be cast in bronze. Then the sculpture, the base and plinth will be shipped to San Francisco where local contractors will install it. CHSA is working with engineers to ensure that the installation meets all public regulations and architectural requirements of the site.
About the Fabricator and Bronze Foundry:
The fabricator’s name is Park Sang-gyu Space Art
박상규 공간미술
It is located on the outskirts of Busan, Korea.
About Park Sang-gyu, CEO of Space Art: Park Sang-gyu is a sculpture production expert who has produced over 10,000 metal sculptures across Korea, including the Gwanghwamun “Statue of King Sejong.
Source: Steel and Metal Newspaper.
View related article here, and here.
A video about the master Park Sang-gyu and the Spatial Art company can be found here.
Budget Summary
Artist commission, fabrication and transportation = $149,000
Engineering = TBD
Installation = $25k (Atthowe Fine Arts, including receiving artwork at warehouse, prepping and shipping to site for installation and managing all related inspections).
Maintenance endowment = TBD
Tentative Production Schedule
| January | Contract signed | Phase 1 completed. |
| February | Stone pedestal design finalized. | |
| March | Basic sculptural form completed. Overall concept design finalized. | Phase 2 completed. |
| April | Detailed sculpting completed | |
| May | Scanning data processing Concurrently work with engineering team to identify the needs and parameters for safe installation. | |
| June | Print output, surface finishing, then handover to foundry. | |
| July | Casting work completed* | |
| August | Shipment* | |
| September-December | Engineer and installation and or unveiling ceremony schedule after port arrival depending on Portsmouth Square renovation status* |
*These items can be delayed to accommodate the needs of the SFAC and Rec and Parks in relation to installation.
The Plinth Plaque
Bruce Lee Born in San Francisco Chinatown Martial Artist | Global Icon | Visionary | Unifier To Honor and Celebrate San Francisco’s Native Son Made Possible by Sculptor With Support from 2026 |
向三藩市土生土長的兒子致敬
莴眾矚目・武藝精湛·遠見卓識·歸之若水
李小龍 (李振藩)
1940.11.27 – 1973. 7. 20
捐贈者:郝也康,蕉蓓馨伉儷
雷務豪,阮端安伉儷
雕塑家:金亨彦产品
赞助機構:美國華人歷史學會、白蘭社區基金
李小龍基金會
2026年立
Design plans for the sculpture and base :
Design inspiration shots:
The sculpture’s stance came from this scene from Bruce Lee’s film Enter the Dragon.
Maquette Designs
Maquette Designs completed by the artist April 2026 (this is a work in progress and there will be more refinement and rounds of quality control before a final miniature is completed.)
Site Plan
Placement of the statue in Portsmouth Square is targeted to be on the corner of Clay Street and Walter U Lum Street. This site plan is determined by site managers with the Recreation and Parks Department and the team of Portsmouth Square redesign architects.
Image courtesy of SF Rec and Parks Department.
The Bruce Lee Statue Project is created in partnership with:
