Li Hei Di

Li Hei Di transmutes impassioned energy into paintings that intertwine biomorphic shapes with oneiric, ethereal environments. Straddling the line between figuration and abstraction, Li's canvases reveal human appendages visible just beneath atmospheric brushstrokes that gradually emerge as the viewer engages with the work. The artist draws beauty from ephemeral moments, exploring them through texture, balance, and a palette ranging from ambient reds and oranges to saccharine pinks and purples to deep greens and blues. Li’s practice is rooted in an examination of raw desire and instinctual urges—both repressed and fulfilled—shaped by their personal history, as well as influences from literature, music, and films. Themes from the works of writers like bell hooks, Byung-Chul Han, Mo Yan, Maggie Nelson, and Paul B. Preciado as well as wuxia films of the 1980s and ‘90s—such as Ching Siu-tung’s A Chinese Ghost Story (1987), Swordsman II: Asia the Invincible (1992), and Tsui Hark’s Green Snake (1993)—permeate their oeuvre. Li resists rigid notions of gender and sexuality, drawing queer associations from sources to produce fantastical, diaphanous compositions that bring the viewer into their world. While painting is a central medium for the artist, their practice also encompasses sculpture, stop-motion animation, and performance. Li left home as a teenager to attend a one-year student exchange program in Ohio before studying at Idyllwild Arts in southern California. They received a BA in Fine Art from Chelsea College of Arts, London, in 2020, and completed an MA in Painting from the Royal College of Art, London, in 2022. In 2024, Li was selected for Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia . Their first solo exhibition was held at Linseed Projects, Shanghai (2022), followed by Michael Kohn Gallery, Los Angeles (2023), and Pippy Houldsworth Gallery, London (2024). Most recently, Tongues of Flare (2025) was presented at Pace Gallery, Hong Kong, marking Li’s first solo exhibition with the gallery since they joined in 2024. Following its run in Hong Kong, Tongues of Flare will travel to the Pond Society where it will be on view during Shanghai Art Week, opening in November. Recent group exhibitions including their work have been held at Gagosian Gallery, Hong Kong (2023); Centre of International Contemporary Art, Vancouver (2023); X Museum Triennial, Beijing (2023); Yuz Museum, Shanghai (2023); Metropolitan Museum of Manila, Philippines (2024); Le Consortium, Dijon, France (2024); GRIMM, New York (2024); Pace Gallery, Los Angeles (2025); X Museum, Beijing (2025); and The Hepworth Wakefield, United Kingdom (2025–26). Their work is held in the collections of the Columbus Museum of Art, Ohio; Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, Turin, Italy; The Hepworth Wakefield, United Kingdom; High Museum of Art, Atlanta, Georgia; Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami; Long Museum, Shanghai; Los Angeles County Museum of Art; The Rachofsky Collection, Dallas, Texas; Tanoto Art Foundation, Singapore; and Ueshima Museum, Tokyo, among others. The artist lives and works in London.