Li Yuan-chia (, 1929–1994) was a

Chinese Chinese may refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people identified with China, through nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **Han Chinese, East Asian ethnic group native to China. **'' Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic ...

artist, poet and curator. He incorporated installations, works and photography into his art, and was one of a small number of artists of Chinese background active in the UK during his lifetime.

Early life and Taiwan

Li Yuan-chia was born in

Guangxi Guangxi,; officially the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, is an Autonomous regions of China, autonomous region of the China, People's Republic of China, located in South China and bordering Vietnam (Hà Giang Province, Hà Giang, Cao Bằn ...

, China. He was educated in

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...

from 1949. Li Yuan-chia was one of the ''Ton Fan'' group (東方畫會) that formed in Taiwan by 1956, also known as ''Orient Movement'' or ''Dongfang Huahui''.Hsiao Chin biography.
/ref> It is credited with establishing modern

abstract art Abstract art uses visual language of shape, form, color and line to create a Composition (visual arts), composition which may exist with a degree of independence from visual references in the world. ''Abstract art'', ''non-figurative art'', ''non- ...

in Chinese circles. Li was one of a number of students of Li Chung-sheng (李仲生, Pinyin Li Zhongsheng) in Ton Fan, who collectively became known as the "Eight Great Outlaws" (八大響馬). The group exhibited in 1957 at the

São Paulo Art Biennial The São Paulo Art Biennial ( Portuguese: ''Bienal de São Paulo'') was founded in 1951 and has been held every two years since. It is the second oldest art biennial in the world after the Venice Biennale (in existence since 1895), which serves as ...

. In Taipei in November 1957 they held a collective exhibition, including works by Spanish painters obtained by Hsiao Chin. This was the first of 15 shows to 1971, but the group became less active because of the emigration of many of its members. A 25th anniversary show took place in 1981. Li Chung-sheng later commented on Li Yuan-chia's initial development by a facile calligraphic style, but also as an early Chinese conceptual artist.

In Italy and London

Li spent time in Italy, in

Bologna Bologna ( , , ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy. It is the List of cities in Italy, seventh most populous city in Italy, with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nationalities. Its M ...

and

Milan Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...

; he was a founder of the Punto group, rejoining Hsiao Chin (蕭勤, Pinyin Xiao Qin), and was resident in Bologna in 1965. Li Yuan-chia moved to London in 1965 where he exhibited with

David Medalla David Cortez Medalla (23 March 1942 – 28 December 2020) was a Filipino international artist and political activist. His work ranged from sculpture and kinetic art to painting, installation, and performance art. Early life David Cortez Me ...

and later at the

Lisson Gallery Lisson Gallery is a contemporary art gallery with locations in London and New York, founded by Nicholas Logsdail in 1967. The gallery represents over 50 artists such as Art & Language, Ryan Gander, Carmen Herrera, Richard Long, John Latham, S ...

. He participated in the 1966 ''Signals 3 + 1'' exhibition, organised by Paul Keeler and Anthony de Kedrel, with Hsiao Chin, Ho Kan, and Pia Pizzo.INIVA chronology.

In the North of England

In 1968 Li Yuan-chia moved to the area of

Brampton Brampton is a city in the Canadian Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Ontario, and the regional seat of the Regional Municipality of Peel. It is part of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and is a List of municipalities in Ontario#L ...

(now in

Cumbria Cumbria ( ) is a ceremonial county in North West England. It borders the Scottish council areas of Dumfries and Galloway and Scottish Borders to the north, Northumberland and County Durham to the east, North Yorkshire to the south-east, Lancash ...

) in North West England. After two years residence near

Lanercost Lanercost is a village in the northern part of Cumbria, England. The settlement is in the civil parish of Burtholme, in the Cumberland local government district. Lanercost is known for the presence of Lanercost Priory and its proximity to ...

, he purchased a derelict farmhouse at

Banks A bank is a financial institution that accepts deposits from the public and creates a demand deposit while simultaneously making loans. Lending activities can be directly performed by the bank or indirectly through capital markets. As banks ...

Hadrian's Wall Hadrian's Wall (, also known as the ''Roman Wall'', Picts' Wall, or ''Vallum Aelium'' in Latin) is a former defensive fortification of the Roman province of Roman Britain, Britannia, begun in AD 122 in the reign of the Emperor Hadrian. Ru ...

from the artist

Winifred Nicholson ''From Bedroom Window, Bankshead'', date unknown, private collection ''Costa Brava'', 1953, Government Art Collection Rosa Winifred Nicholson (née Roberts; 21 December 1893 – 5 March 1981) was a British painter. She was married to the pa ...

. By his own efforts and with scant resources he converted the farmhouse into the LYC Museum and Art Gallery and opened it in 1972. A local artist friend was Audrey Barker. The Museum was described by

Hunter Davies Edward Hunter Davies (born 7 January 1936) is a British author, journalist and broadcaster. His books include the only authorised biography of the Beatles. Early life Davies was born in Johnstone, Renfrewshire, to Scottish parents. For four ...

in his book ''A Walk along the Wall'', who noted among its exhibits a piece by

Takis Takis may refer to: * Takis (snack), a spicy, roll-shaped snack * Takis Christoforidis, a Greek actor * Takis Fotopoulos, a Greek political philosopher * Takis Ikonomopoulos, a Greek football player * Takis Kanellopoulos a Greek film director * Tak ...

and a painting by

Alfred Wallis Alfred Wallis (18 August 1855 – 29 August 1942) was a British artist and fisherman, known for his port landscapes and shipping scenes painted in a naïve style. Having no artistic training, he began painting at the age of 70, using househo ...

. The LYC exhibited artists such as

Andy Goldsworthy Andy Goldsworthy (born 25 July 1956) is an English sculptor, photographer, and environmentalist who produces site-specific sculptures and land art situated in natural or urban settings. Early life Goldsworthy was born in Cheshire on 25 July ...

and David Nash.

Rosie Leventon Rosie Leventon is a British visual artist whose practice encompasses sculpture, installation, land art, drawing and painting. She is known for making sculptural installations that reference current issues as well as the natural environment, prehi ...

Rose Frain Rose Frain is a visual artist based in Edinburgh, Scotland,Mansfield, Susan (2009)Art reviews: Nashashibi/Skaer , Rose Frain , Andrew Ranville, ''The Scotsman'', 1 September 2009, retrieved 2010-01-25 exhibiting nationally and internationally, ...

Kate Nicholson Kate Nicholson (July 1929 – 18 April 2019) was a British painter and the daughter of artist Ben Nicholson and his first wife, the artist Winifred Nicholson. Biography Born at Bankshead, Banks, Cumberland in 1929, Nicholson was a pupil at Cla ...

and

Bill Woodrow Bill Woodrow (born 1 November 1948) is a British sculptor. Early years and education Bill Woodrow was born on 1 November 1948 near Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire. He received his education at the Winchester School of Art, Winchester College of ...

held solo shows there during the 1980s. It also encouraged the creative efforts of children, some of whom went on to successful careers in the arts. The musician

Delia Derbyshire Delia Ann Derbyshire (5 May 1937 – 3 July 2001) was an English musician and composer of electronic music. She carried out notable work with the BBC Radiophonic Workshop during the 1960s, including her electronic arrangement of the theme ...

worked there as Li's assistant. Gaining increasing recognition for his enterprise, after a year or two Li was awarded funding from the Arts Council, making it possible for the Museum to continue its activities for the ten years he had originally planned.

Death and legacy

Li Yuan-chia died of cancer in 1994. There was a 1998 memorial exhibition of his work in Taipei. A retrospective of his work and career was shown in London at the

Camden Arts Centre Camden Art Centre (known as Hampstead Arts Centre until 1967 and Camden Arts Centre until 2020) is a contemporary art gallery in the London Borough of Camden, England. It hosts temporary exhibitions and educational outreach projects, with a prog ...

in 2001. An exhibition "Making New Worlds: Li Yuan-chia & Friends" at

Kettle's Yard Kettle's Yard is an art gallery and house in Cambridge, England. The director of the art gallery is Andrew Nairne. Both the house and gallery reopened in February 2018 after an expansion of the facilities. History and overview Kettle's Yar ...

in Cambridge ends in February 2024.

Exhibitions

* São Paulo Biennale 1957 * São Paulo Biennale 1959 * Stadisches Museum Leverkusen 1960 * Obelisko Gallery Rome * White - White 1965 * Signals London Soundings Two 1966 * Signals London Soundings 3 + 1 = Li Y - C etc. * Lisson Gallery * Cosmic Point 1967This list taken from a Lisson Gallery catalogue, dated October 1967 * The Other Story, Hayward Gallery, 1989–90 * Camden Arts Centre, 26 January - 18 March 2001; Kendal, Cumbria: Abbot Hall Art Gallery, Kendal 28 March - 3 June; Palais des Beaux-Arts, Brussels 6 July - 9 September 2001

References

* *

Guy Brett Guy Anthony Baliol Brett (1942–2021) was an English art critic, writer and curator. He was noted for a personal vision, particularly of cultural production of an experimental character. He is known for the promotion of Latin American artists, an ...

and Nick Sawyer (2000) ''Li Yuan-Chia: Tell Me What is Not Yet Said'' (London: Institute of International Visual Arts) * Guy Brett, ''Li Yuan-chia 1929-1994'', ''Third Text'' n28/9, Autumn/Winter 1994, 3-4: obituary

Notes

John Rylands Library The John Rylands Research Institute and Library is a Victorian era, late-Victorian Gothic Revival architecture, neo-Gothic building on Deansgate in Manchester, England. It is part of the University of Manchester. The library, which opened to t ...

, Manchester {{DEFAULTSORT:Li, Yuan-chia 1929 births 1991 deaths Artists from Guangxi Chinese curators 20th-century Chinese poets British people of Chinese descent Taiwanese artists British curators Poets from Guangxi