Liu Yi

Artist, Public art curator, Initiator of Birds Radio,the 956th speaker of Yi Xi

Liu Yi’s practice explores the relationships between body and space, spirits and materials, individual and public, presence and absence of culture. The unique style of combining classic figures with contemporary colors， presented in the daily digital drawing on his smartphone, has interpreted not only artist’s curiosity and mythological imagination of life, but also his memories and experiences. The drawings, which seemed like children’s doodling, have shared overwhelming empathy with the audiences since the works reflected vivid life experiences. Meanwhile, Liu Yi has also taken his interest in creating narratives lying between digital media, materiality, and subject. Thus, his artistic practice has taken place in both graphic and spatial ways based on daily life and social scenery. 

Liu Yi is one of the most active and influential public artists, designers, and curators in China. He has long been committed to integrating art and design practices and teaching in the fields of public art, environmental design, and digital media. He has established cooperation with many important art institutions and public art projects, including the China Art Palace, China Shanghai International Arts Festival, Shanghai Museum of Contemporary Art, Fosun Art Center, A4 Art Museum, UCCA Lab, Cao Peng Public Welfare Foundation, and others. At the same time, he was invited to serve as a researcher for the (IPA) International Public Art Association, a director of the Shanghai Creative Designers Association, member of Creative Association Curation and Exhibition Design Art Committee, member of Shanghai Artists Association (Experiment and Science Art Group),China Shanghai International Arts Festival "Unlimited Brush" invited tutor and the founder of 61CREATIVE. He is also a director of Public Art and Design Laboratory of Design Innovation Institute Shanghai,a visiting professor at the College of Design and Innovation at Tongji University and an external expert at the School of Product Design at Shanghai Institute of Arts and Crafts. He has served as the head of the public art major at Shanghai Institute of Visual Arts, a course instructor for the “Bauhaus Classroom” at the Cultural and Education Section of the German Consulate General in Shanghai, an advisor to the NOTCH Nordic Chinese Art Festival, an Advisory Board Member of Diverse As We Are (DAWA) International Festival of Inclusive Culture an executive designer in charge of sculpture at the World Expo Center during the Shanghai World Expo, and a person in charge of the “Shanghai Redesign” invitation exhibition at the Shanghai Art Design Exhibition. He was also a researcher for the “Shanghai Project”，a curator for “Lumiéres China” light art festival in Xintiandi, a workshop instructor for “Historical Heritage and Public Art” at Anhalt University of Applied Sciences in Germany, a workshop instructor for Future Lab Art and Design Innovation Future Education Expo. He has served as an expert judge for the 7th 'Think Youth'-Shanghai International Digital Creation，Innovation & Entrepreneurship Competition, New Media Art Section，the DuPont Tyvek® Design Award，the Shanghai City Image Creative Collection，the Shanghai Student Design Art Competition, and Sichuan International Communication Center (SICC for short)’s "Let's Pixelate it! Sanxingdui Player"Youth Exhibition Solicitation Activity.His work “Professional Cultivation Model Practice and Exploration of Art Implantation in Medical Space” won the second prize in the Shanghai Teaching Achievement Award. He also won the silver prize in global art design works at 2020IOAF International Ocean Art Festival and Starlight Award at the 2021 Shenzhen Light Shadow Art Season.