Titled Grow Like the Seasons, the exhibition reveals the artist’s thoughts and unique views on life. Compared to the innocent and somewhat rebellious character images in Li’s previous works, the current artworks convey more implicit and complex emotions. Overall, the images also transitioned from a bright, cheerful color tone to a more subtle, elegant one. From the little girl taking off the rabbit suit to feel the first snow of winter to the intriguing pink rabbit propping its chin by the summertime window, the artist expanded the focus on characters’ momentary reactions to exploring life’s infinite possibilities. From the gradual growth of a tree to the wilting of blossoming flowers, from wintertime silence to springtime rejuvenation, Li assimilated the process of life to that of seasonal changes under the concept of time. As implied by the Taoist principle “I am not what I see,” I am not merely a simple entity but a mixture of all previous experiences including every path I took and every change I made. This vitality is the power and value that the artist tries to convey through her works. As for image composition, Li ingeniously reinterpreted contemporary elements by combining classical techniques with the characteristics of acrylic paint. By stacking thin layers of diluted paint on the canvas, Li softened the colors while preserving the warmth of brushstrokes to create rich yet segregated effects. 

XX Li’s artworks are characterized by simple, vibrant colors and richly vivid emotions. The Colorful Ice Cream Series has always been one of Li’s most popular creative themes. The lively facial expressions on different colors of ice cream scoops combined with clear-cut light and shadows on the image to evoke memories of watching clouds drift across the sky at ease on a sunny summer afternoon. The artist’s use of watercolor paints also produced various smudging effects that created an exclusive sense of warmth and creativity.

XX Li’ experimented with a new technique in“Blossom Silently” by applying Chinese ink wash painting and negative space to the artwork. The little girl in the painting calmly holds up her hands as the plum blossom dangles elegantly at the top with a few light pink petals. The blue-purplish background implies a quiet winter atmosphere, which accentuates the profound aesthetics of silently blooming plum blossoms. The artist chose darker colors to express the semi-dimensional light and shadow variations around the character, outlining the main character while highlighting the artwork’s implicit sentiments and aesthetic values. Li had studied Chinese paintings in her teenage years. This artwork is more than a new experiment for Li as it also reflects her recognition and pursuit for self-identities and cultural values.

By transforming seasonal changes, beautiful scenery, and landscape-admiring characters into story-telling paintings, Li integrated different cultural elements and explored the boundary of art expressions to demonstrate her sharp insights on the context of contemporary art. This exhibition cordially invites viewers to re-examine life from different perspectives, and embark on a poetically philosophical journey with XX Li.