A memorial sculpture created by Koo Jun Yup of Clon in honor of his late wife, Barbie Hsu (Xu Xiyuan), has been unveiled to mark the first anniversary of her passing.
On February 2 at 2 p.m. (local time), a dedication ceremony was held at the Jinbaoshan Memorial Park in Jinshan District, New Taipei City, Taiwan. Koo Jun-yup attended the event alongside Hsu’s mother, her younger sister Dee Hsu (Xu Xidi), other family members, and close acquaintances.
As the curtain was lifted to reveal the sculpture—personally designed by Koo—Hsu’s mother broke down in tears. Koo embraced the sculpture before gently holding and comforting his grieving mother-in-law, creating an emotional moment that moved those in attendance.
The memorial was created in collaboration with Taiwanese contemporary artist Lee Cheng Dao, who revealed that the sculpture is titled “Hee Won’s Eternal Orbit.” He explained, “Through this sculpture, Koo left behind an orbit where longing continues to move endlessly. Nine cubes surround Hsu like planets.” Lee added that the number nine holds special meaning: “‘Nine’ is pronounced similarly to ‘Koo’ in Korean. It was Hsu’s favorite number and an irreplaceable code shared only between the two.”
Lee further explained that the sculpture faces 208 degrees south, symbolically pointing toward Taipei, family, and love. “At the same time, it represents February 8—the day love was completed and became eternal. On this orbit, time does not end, and love continues to revolve.”
Sharing behind-the-scenes details, Lee noted, “Koo and I were originally working on a different creative collaboration. I never expected it would become a sculptural installation dedicated to Hsu. Rather than leading the design, I focused on finding the most honest and appropriate expression within Koo’s existing artistic language.”
He emphasized, “I do not consider this a joint work. This is entirely Koo Jun-yup’s piece and a dedication to Hsu. My role was simply to help translate his emotions into a form that time could hold, and to ensure the structure and materials would endure.”
Lee concluded with a poignant reflection: “Contrary to what the world may say, Koo is neither fragile nor easily broken. Though he fell into deep sorrow after losing the one he loved, he was not consumed by it. By continuing to live and create, he is preserving Hsu’s name and existence. Love is as strong as death.”
Alongside the ceremony, Lee also released photos of Koo Jun Yup gazing quietly at the memorial sculpture, his eyes filled with contemplation and longing. Another image captured him kissing Hsu’s gravestone, engraved in Korean with the words “Forever love you – Junjun.” Additional scenes showed Koo looking through old photographs of Hsu collected for the sculpture’s creation, conveying a profound sense of grief and enduring love.
Koo Jun Yup and Barbie Hsu announced their marriage in February 2022, drawing widespread attention. The couple first met in 1998 and dated for about a year before parting ways. Hsu later married Chinese businessman Wang Xiaofei in 2011 and had one son and one daughter before divorcing in 2021. After hearing of her divorce, Koo reached out, and the two reunited after 23 years, eventually registering their marriage.
Tragically, Hsu passed away suddenly in February last year due to pneumonia-related complications while traveling in Japan with her family. After being cremated in Japan, her remains were laid to rest at the Rose Garden within Jinbaoshan Memorial Park in New Taipei City.
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