Coinciding with the acquisition and display of Chen Li’s “Human Buddha” at The British Museum

Chinese art and Western art have different views about reality. But when I paint, I ignore [these] rules to create living artistic images. (Chen Li)

Chen Li is a master woodblock printmaker and oil painter with a unique vision and boundless originality. His joyful, dynamic, and intoxicatingly peaceful works convey the life-affirming energy of his native Yunnan Province on China’s southwest frontier.

In his woodblock prints, Chen Li uses Yunnan’s rare “waste-block” or “suicide” technique that leaves no room for error. All colours are printed from a single woodblock, each step carving over the previous one until the block is destroyed. Only a single edition is possible.

Our fourth solo exhibition of Chen Li’s works coincides with the display of his “Human Buddha” woodblock print at The British Museum, just 8 minutes walk from the gallery. This work was acquired by the museum after our first solo exhibition of Chen Li’s woodblocks in 2018 and is now on display as an exceptional representation of modern Chinese art.