During his residency, Yongzhen Li will create new work that explores the impact of social power structures and cultural heritage on the formation of personal identity through the expressive medium of Chinese ink painting and drawing. Drawing on motifs from past work, the artist will produce a long, panoramic handscroll using ink and mugwort dye. He will also develop a 2D animation in collaboration with colleagues from the animation program at Durham College. Combining traditional and contemporary techniques, this storytelling project is inspired by the deep connections between the past and present.
Artist Bio: Yongzhen Li is an emerging artist based in Oshawa. Trained at Xi’an Academy of Fine Arts and self-taught in contemporary practices, he merges traditional Chinese ink and mugwort dye with a modern sensibility to examine identity, memory, and resistance. His work has been exhibited at The Contemporary Art Market at the Carrousel du Louvre (2024) and at the Sidney and Gertrude Zack Gallery (Vancouver, 2026). Li is committed to public engagement through community-based art and educational initiatives.