Created By
Li Xi
Ink and mixed media on canvas
Curator
Luke Chapman
Li Xi’s 'A Baby,' rendered on tea-stained canvas in a cartographic, stream-of-consciousness style, draws the viewer into an intimate topography of life’s origins. The swirling, line-rich forms evoke both the intricate arteries of a map and the suggestive silhouette of a fetus in the womb, grounding abstraction in a narrative of possibility and nurture. At once deeply personal and universally resonant, the work invites us to contemplate the mapping of existence before birth—an emotional and psychological landscape rendered in fluid ink. Benjamin Sigg’s acquisition of this piece, following its powerful presentation at the Today Art Museum, attests to the artwork’s profound ability to connect private becoming with broader, shared inquiry.
Li Xi's artwork "A Baby" is a tea-stained canvas piece rendered in a cartographic style that suggests the shape of a baby in the womb. The intricate lines and flowing forms evoke a map-like topography, blending abstraction with a deeply personal narrative of life’s beginnings. Its visual language captures an emotional and psychological space, inviting viewers to contemplate the intimate and universal journey of existence before birth. The work resonates with themes of nurture, possibility, and the mapping of human development, all woven into a fluid, dreamlike ink composition. This style transforms the canvas into both a literal and metaphorical landscape of early life and becoming, highlighting Li Xi's blending of natural forms and conceptual depth. This description aligns with the curator Luke Chapman's perspective on the piece, emphasizing its evocative mapping qualities and emotional depth.
Created By
Li Xi
180 x 240 cm | 71 x 94 in
2010