LONDON
ARTIST & ILLUSTRATOR
lyy0590@foxmail.com
I've been exploring how to give form to a "spiritual home," a state that feels both ambiguous and neutral, deeply peaceful. It doesn't belong to any fixed place; it might be within an old, slightly withered tree, on an iris petal, in a speck of cosmic dust, or even in someone's eyes.
My inspiration comes from an ancient Chinese poem: "A butterfly dreams of Zhou, Zhou dreams of a butterfly; I ride the wind, the wind rides me." The interplay of dreams and reality, of what we gain and what we let go—how we emerge from the material and eventually return to it—this very dynamic balance leads me to explore how black and white can connect.
I let ink flow freely in water, spontaneously forming various shapes. Sometimes, when the ink is covered by gesso, it takes on a faint blue hint. On this subtle blue, watercolor, oil pastels, and pencils leave their blooming marks.
I bring together parts of the human body, natural elements, and the vastness of deep space. Here, both dynamic and static forms of life and matter merge. People remember that they are part of nature, and the lines between us and the natural world, between different materials, blur. It's like when we first came into the world, and everything felt like an extension of our own senses.
Taoism teaches "human and nature in one", suggesting we should return to nature rather than just protect it. This view deeply influences me. I love the calm figures in Marlene Dumas's art and the chaos and darkness hidden beneath. They show a vibrant life bursting from a peaceful surface, which is the feeling I always seek.
Here, people and nature embrace, without time or space, only deep tranquility.
我一直在探索“精神家园”的具象化体现，它是一种模糊的、安宁而中立的状态。它不属于任何一个固定的地方，可能存在一棵有些枯萎的古树中、存在一片鸢尾花花瓣上、一粒宇宙的尘埃里，或者存在某个人的眼睛里。
它的灵感来源于一句古诗：“果碟梦周周梦蝶，为风乘我我乘风”。梦境与现实、得到与失去，我们从物质中来，最终又回到物质中去，正是这种相互转化的动态平衡让我尝试在黑与白的颜色中寻找它们交互的可能性。
我让墨在水中自由地流淌，它自发地变成各种形状，而有时候当墨色被gesso覆盖时会呈现一种淡淡的蓝色，水彩、油画棒和铅笔的作用会在这种淡蓝色上留下绽放的痕迹。
我将人体部位、自然元素和深空组织在一起，动态的、非动态的生命和物质在此刻互相融合，人们不再忘记自己也是自然的一部分，人与自然、物质世界的边界模糊了，就如同我们刚诞生于这个世界一样，万物都是自身感官的延伸。
道教主张“天人合一”，与其说去保护自然，不如说是回归自然，我深受这一观点的影响。我很喜欢Marlene Dumas作品中的平静人物姿态及其背后的混乱与黑暗，这让我感受到了一种从平静表面中迸发出的生命力，这也是我一直追求的感觉。
在这里，人与自然拥抱彼此，没有时间，没有空间，只有安宁。
BIOGRAPHY
Li Yuying is a London-based artist and illustrator. She earned her Bachelor's degree in Chinese Painting from Zhejiang University (China) and is currently studying Print at the Royal College of Art. Her work features experimental ink and mixed media, influenced by Hangzhou, a city where she previously resided.
Yuying's work has been exhibited in both the UK and China.
EXHIBITION
2025 “RCA2025”, Royal College of Art, London
2025 “In Betweens”, Southwark Park Gallery, London
2024 “Hunan Star”, Hunan Packaging Technology Association, Changsha
2024 “Nanling Biennale of Illustrations”, Hunan Artists Association, Changsha
2024 “Shanxi Youth Design”, Yuncheng Graphic Design Association, Yuncheng
2024 "2024 Facial Expressions", Central Academy of Fine Arts Research Center for Art Education, Beijing
2024 “Bronze Light”, Hubei Artist Association, Daye
2023 “Hundred Best Hundred Excellent”, Shengyang Youth Artists Association, Shengyang
2023 “Fu Yao Tian Feng”, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou
2023 “Asking Spring”, Shengyang Youth Artists Association, Shengyang
2023 “Rising Sun”, CCIP Macau, Macau
2022 “Hangzhou Youth Art Talent”, The Artist Society of Hangzhou, Hangzhou
AWARDS
2024 Zhongnan Star Award
2024 Biafarin award-2024
2024 Eighth Five-year Art Award
2023 Chinese North and South Arts Award
COLLECTION
Zhejiang University, Hangzhou
Jiang County Cultural Center, Yuncheng