Untitled

1967
Mixed Media
17.7 x 13.3 x 2.6 cm
Winsing Arts Collection

Courtesy of Winsing Arts Foundation. Photo © ANPIS FOTO

Untitled

1967
Mixed Media
17.7 x 13.3 x 2.6 cm
Winsing Arts Collection

London Period

From 1967 to 1968, Li was invited by London’s SIGNALS Gallery to participate in Soundings Two and 3+1, and was recognized as one of ‘the first abstract artists to escape Red China.’ Attracted by the gallery’s interdisciplinary, experimental, and multicultural energy, he moved to London, teaching himself photography and English poetry, which he integrated into his art. During his stay, he held three acclaimed solo exhibitions at Lisson Gallery, revealing a haptic shift in his work: painted ‘points’ gave way to circular magnetic objects, expanding into explorations of environment, participation, and interaction. He also developed the concept of ‘toyart,’ becoming one of the earliest artists in Britain to explore participatory art (Part-Art) and artist’s multiple.

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Artist Biography

Li Yuan Chia

Born in Guangxi in 1929, Li Yuan Chia moved to Taiwan after the war, entered the art department of Taipei Normal School. He was one of the founding members of the Oriental Painting Society, inspired by modern art ideas. Moving to Italy in 1961, he joined the European vanguard art movement Punto, where his work moved towards minimalism, conceptualization, and developed the core theme of his creative career, “Point”. Moving to London in 1967, he held several exhibitions with the Leeson Gallery, proposing the concept of Toyart, and became one of the earliest pioneers in the UK to practice participatory art and composite works. Moving to Cambria, Northern England in 1969, he independently expanded the farmhouse into the LYC Museum and Art Gallery, which from 1972 to 1982 hosted more than 200 exhibitions and became an important modern art hub in Northern England. His work spans calligraphy, painting, light relief, interactive installations, tapestries and photographic prints. At its core, “Dots” forms a unique artistic language that combines oriental spirit and cosmic imagery.

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