Zhongkai Li

Zhongkai Li (b. Changsha, 1993) is an artist and educator whose work bridges cross-cultural references, personal history, and the natural world. Li earned an MFA from Yale University and currently serves as a visiting assistant professor at Pratt Institute.

Li’s abstract paintings explore the fluid transformations of color, light, and form, constructing an inner sense of order and spirituality. His practice is rooted in a contemplative approach, employing a meticulous dyeing technique on raw canvas that blends and echoes the traditions of Eastern and Western painting. This repetitive and meditative process becomes his pathway to philosophical inquiries into impermanence.

Li’s understanding of spatial composition is shaped by a dialogue between philosophy, language, design history, and the study of gardens. Through the exploration of liúbái (to leave a message) within the canvas, he stages the painting as a medium for cultural exchange, expanding the boundaries of the subject and creating an open, introspective field of reflection.