Li Wei 李威

“ The Chinese characters are my roots, flowing like a perpetual life. ”

— Li Wei

Born in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, Li Wei is currently based in Hong Kong. After graduating from Nanjing Art Institute in 2003 and later obtaining a master’s degree from the Central Academy of Fine Arts in 2007, Li Wei merged the visual concepts of mural painting into canvas art. In her creation of the “dot-matrix” style, she employs a repetitive layering technique that showcases the intricate relationship between the self and the passage of time. This immersive approach often requires months to complete a painting, as vividly demonstrated in the 2015 Tears and Songs series exhibition.

From Palace Wall Willow to the Tears and Songs series, each frame by Li Wei envelops the modern ink-wash form, shrouding the painting’s theme in the elegant ambiance of ancient Chinese poetry. Li Wei seizes symbols from the Chinese literary tradition, harmonising traditional forms with the subjects of her images. By combining historical documents with literature and philosophy, she skillfully allows viewers to revisit familiar territory with a theatrical flair.

Deliberately avoiding the traditional modes of ancient Chinese literati painting and calligraphy, Li Wei’s two distinctive series illustrate her successful integration of traditional art into contemporary landscapes. Even insights into life’s details are seamlessly incorporated into the past and present through Li Wei’s unique creative approach.