Zhou Li

Zhou Li is a celebrated artist whose dynamic abstractions stem from natural observation but evolve into distinct forms influenced by her personal experiences and emotions.

Biography of Zhou Li

Zhou Li was born in 1969 in Hunan, China. She attended the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts in Guangzhou from 1987 to 1991, where she focused on studying oil painting. In 1995, she relocated to France but returned to China in 2003.

In 2015, Zhou assumed the role of Director of the Institute of Abstraction and Contemporary Arts at the Centre of Research on Artistic and Cultural Innovation and Development, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou. Additionally, she has held the position of guest professor in the Oil Painting Department at the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts since 2013.

Zhou Li's artworks have been exhibited in various solo and group shows, including "World Inside Windows" at La cour des Arts Gallery in France (1997); "The Boundaries of Order" at Hive Centre for Contemporary Art in Beijing (2015); "Shadow of the Wind" at Yuz Museum in Shanghai (2017); "The Ring of Life" at Hive Center for Contemporary Art in Beijing (2017); "Original State of Mind" at White Cube in London (2019); "Extreme Mix" at Guangzhou Airport Biennale in Guangzhou, China (2019); "Without" at Artron Art Centre in Shenzhen, China (2021); "Water and Dreams" at Kerlin Gallery in Dublin (2022), among others.

Currently, Zhou Li lives and works in China.

Zhou Li's Art Style

Zhou Li's artistic expression encompasses a diverse range of mediums, including painting, sculpture, installations, and public art. Her mixed media approach incorporates elements such as oil paint, washes of ink, charcoal, and cotton cloth. Through her lyrical abstract paintings, Zhou Li captures her keen sensory observations of the world, capturing the interplay of light and shadow, solidity and dissolution, and the essence of existence.

Combining influences from the history of European painting and the foundational principles of traditional Chinese art, such as Qiyun (atmosphere), brushstroke, color, and structural arrangement, Zhou Li creates a unique painterly language that bridges both traditions. Her fluid charcoal lines intersect with paint circles in a delicate, ethereal color palette. These intricate, layered forms seem to levitate in space and follow a complex compositional arrangement that extends beyond the painting's surface.

While Zhou Li's paintings draw inspiration from nature, particularly the mountainous landscapes of Southern China, they transcend mere representation. Each brushstroke on the canvas reflects her unwavering pursuit of understanding existence, driven by a constant inquiry into the essence of being.