Li Shan: Outside the Window

Li Shan was born in Beijing in 1957.  At 14 years old, she was the youngest member of the No Name Group, an artist collective operating in China during the Cultural Revolution (1966-1977). 

 

The No Name Group refused to confine themselves to the artistic mode prescribed at the time: one that was riddled with party propoganda and defined by the rigid forms and subjects matter of Socialist Realist Art. Instead, the No Name Group celebrated the freedom of "art for art's sake," often retreating into the Beijing's suburbs to paint and sketch en-plein-air. They subscribed to the classical aestheticics of truth, goodness, and beauty. 

 

During her time in the No Name Group, Li Shan worked on a very small scale to be able to carry her materials with her outdoors. She continues this practice to this day, using a travelling painting box. As a result, her works on paper are rendered on an intimate scale that contributes to their charm. 

 

Travel is a large part of Li Shan's practice today. In Outside the Window, Li Shan presents a series of landscapes from 2014 to the present, many of which are based on places she has visited, from Canada and Norway to Switzerland and Nepal.  An avid fan of snowboarding and skiing, Li Shan notes how her outgoing and adventurous personality is at odds with the serenity and calm depicted in her works.

In 2017, the Don Gallery in Shangai held their first exhibition of Li Shan's work, titled Fuxing Renaissance. We were introduced to Li Shan through the Don Gallery and James Carl, who is also represented by Don Gallery. We are delighted to present Li Shan's first North American exhibition at Nicholas Metivier Gallery this spring.