Eastern Gouache

2005

Length:140 x Width:80 (cm)

Li Chen-Hui (b. 1961, Sanxia, Taipei) graduated from the Department of Fine Arts at Tunghai University and earned a master’s degree from the Graduate School of Art and Design at the University of Tsukuba, Japan. She has taught at the National Institute of the Arts (now Taipei National University of the Arts) and National Taiwan Normal University, and currently serves on the faculty at Tunghai University’s Department of Fine Arts. Specializing in nihonga (mineral pigment painting), Li has led multiple research projects on the medium. In her creative practice, she incorporates traditional ink-line techniques and metallic foils into her mineral pigment works, producing compositions rich in light and shadow. Her work was awarded second place in the nihonga category at the Taiwan Provincial Art Exhibition.
Li often explores the relationship between trees, stones, and the earth in her work. Soaring was inspired by her observation of driftwood and stones from her personal collection. Using suihi pigments as a base, she applied silver and black foil to evoke a weathered, enduring texture. Layers of mineral pigments were brushed and built up to create varied patterns and a sense of spatial depth. Through the interplay of materials—rubbing, tapping, and staining—the composition takes on a dynamic sense of motion, as though an unseen force were pulling all matter toward a vortex at the heart of the painting. The work captures the timeless vitality and transformative nature of physical matter, expressing a visual metaphor for resilience, momentum, and a spirit poised to rise.

Accession number:20180100035