Born in 1981, Chongqing, China | Lives and works in Beijing and Dali
Li Shurui is one of the prominent figures in contemporary Chinese painting, known for her ongoing exploration of the visual structure of light and color, as well as their sensory and cultural implications. Utilizing the precision of airbrush techniques, she constructs visual fields that simultaneously evoke LED light patterns, spatial depth, and abstract emotion. Her works engage directly with the viewer’s retina and nervous system, generating immersive experiences and visceral psychological responses.
Although Li received her formal training in traditional ink painting at the Sichuan Fine Arts Institute, she gradually turned toward intuitive and sensory-driven abstraction, driven by an internal resistance to academic formalism. In her early Light series, she translated the pixelated glow of LED screens onto canvas, delving into the relationship between perception and space. Since then, she has continued to investigate the thresholds where light, color, emotion, physical presence, and sociocultural context intersect. As the artist notes, “I hope my work becomes a sensory experience that moves beyond language, touching the body, emotions, and spirit.”
In 2016, she was awarded a New York Fellowship by the Asian Cultural Council (ACC). Her solo and group exhibitions span major art institutions and galleries worldwide, including Long Museum (Shanghai), Carl Kostyál (London/Milan), New Galerie (Paris), WHITE SPACE (Beijing), Jeffrey Deitch (New York), and Perrotin (Paris).
Her works are included in numerous significant public and private collections, such as the Rubell Family Collection, the Estella Collection, the Ullens Collection, Long Museum, Sifang Art Museum, Fosun Foundation, and the DSL Collection.
© Courtesy the artist and WHITE SPACE