ZHANG LI ART

ARTIST BIO

Ph: (913) 515-2629

In China, Lily was known as a dancer, but she wanted to expand her artistic ventures beyond dance.  At a young age, she was injured and was told she would never dance again. But she was an artist at heart.  She taught herself to paint, with some help from famous artists of that time.  She started painting with bamboo, as most watercolor artists do in China.  

Over time her health improved and she was told she could dance again.  She matured in both art forms and decided to combine them to do her unique choreography of painting with bamboo within her dance.  She is well known for this unique form of dancing.

Over time she expanded her artform and started painting horses and pandas on rice paper.  Then she moved on to silk.  The silk had to be of a certain thickness and weave for the Chinese watercolors not to soak right through it.  She then found certain satin will also work.  That is how she came to paint her signature pieces.  It combines Chinese and Western styles of art with traditional subject matters.  The material gives a brighter backdrop and a three-dimensional look.  Even when she uses darker colored material the pieces still stand out, especially when lighted properly.  She has been in much-juried art shows all through the Midwest in the last few years and has won several awards including first and second place for watercolor and best display.  

When creating each painting she puts as much "Chi" into it as she dances.  This has many viewers of her art say they feel her work is almost alive.  She also works with "feng shui" of the painting and chooses subjects that represent goodness in chinese culture.  Most of her customers like to know how best to hang her art pieces to draw on the benefits of feng shui and Lily will let them know.  She also let her customers know what the subject represents in Chinese culture.  She also does the matting and framing herself to make the pieces stand out.  

Ph: (913) 515-2629