Yimiao Liu

Yimiao Liu’s narrative paintings and drawings poetically explore the ambivalence and indeterminacy of life. Her work often uses the natural world as a metaphorical lens to examine existential themes of freedom, human existence and the construction of meaning. With a particular focus on the female body in all its forms—delicate and hard, beautiful and grotesque—Liu homes in on moments of destruction that eventually give way to prosperity and renewal.

Liu’s mode of lyrical abstraction, replete with figurative elements that portray inner psychological states rather than external events, embodies a form of soft romanticism that is underscored by a stringent technique to create captivating contrasts that reveal the depths of human experience in all its pained, fragmented beauty. Her background as an illustrator informs her materials and method, as she applies thin layers of oil with the delicacy of ink washes, echoing the freehand style of traditional Chinese painting. Graphite is used to meticulously render specific objects while patches of exposed linen introduce lightness, balance and air to the composition. This slow, meditative approach reflects Liu’s belief that revealing truth requires laborious time.