Floating without a Tether
ART LABOR Gallery is pleased to present Liu Liu’s new solo exhibition, Floating without a Tether, from February 22nd to April 13th, 2025.
In this exhibition, Liu Liu introduces a new series of works that explore the intersection of found imagery, film, memory, dreams, and the ethereal qualities of light. Initially working with watercolor on paper, Liu Liu expanded his practice in 2021 to larger canvases, maintaining watercolor’s translucent and atmospheric qualities while incorporating new textures. His artistic journey has evolved into a deeply emotional exploration, capturing not only the precision of details but also the elusive mood and ambiance each scene evokes. Liu Liu’s work invites viewers to engage with the scene beyond its immediate visual impression, prompting questions about the sceneries and the narratives and stories they may contain. This curiosity creates a subtle dialogue between the viewer and the work.
Liu Liu’s exploration of light and shadow, inspired by the principles of chiaroscuro from the Italian Renaissance, reveals how the play of light can shape not just the visual experience, but also the emotional tone of a scene. Through his use of light, Liu Liu focuses on the subjective experience of perception. He believes that true realism does not arise from the exact replication of detail, but rather from an artist’s personal response to the atmosphere. The emotional quality that an artist imparts to a scene—the warmth, coolness, or interplay between light and shadow—becomes the essence of the painting’s truth. In this way, Liu Liu’s works offer more than visual representations; they convey a visceral, almost tactile feeling that evokes a deeper sense of connection.
Liu Liu was born in Shenyang in 1990 and graduated with a Master’s degree from the Printmaking Department of the Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA) in 2018. Recent solo exhibitions include Morning Dusk Evening Dawn (ART LABOR Gallery, Shanghai, 2023), Days of Haze (ART LABOR Gallery, Shanghai, 2022), and Light, Air and Emotion (FlipPOP, Shanghai, 2020). His work has been featured in prominent group exhibitions, including Shanghai Calling (ART LABOR Gallery, Shanghai, 2024), Worlds on Paper II (ART LABOR Gallery, Shanghai, 2023), First Light (ART LABOR Gallery, Shanghai, 2022), and the Nomination Exhibition of Watercolor Paintings of Chinese Young Artists (Qingdao Art Museum, 2021). Liu Liu’s works are held in the collections of the Qingdao Art Museum and numerous private collectors around the world.
