Li Jin

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About the artwork

谁信盛旺中有离情忽到心头
“Who would believe that amidst prosperity and joy, feelings of separation suddenly rise to the heart?”
Li Jin is expressing a contrast; when everything seems to be flourishing and going well on the surface (盛旺), yet out of nowhere, a sense of sadness, a feeling of separation (离情) wells up inside.

憐猫图 - Painting of a Tenderly-Loved Cat
李津画 - Painted by Li Jin

About the artist

Li Jin (b. 1958, Tianjin, China) is one of China’s most beloved contemporary ink painters, celebrated for transforming everyday moment into colourful, whimsical narratives. A member of the New Literati movement, Li draws on the classical literati tradition and reinvigorates it with vivid humour and modern flair. His expressive brushwork and candid subject matter—full of food, sensuality, and playful self-portraits—redefine the boundaries of traditional ink painting.

Educated at the Tianjin Academy of Fine Arts (BA, 1983), where he later served as Associate Professor, Li Jin has exhibited globally in China, the U.S., Australia, Germany, and beyond. His works are in prestigious collections including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Seattle Art Museum, National Art Museum of China, Hong Kong Museum of Art, and Ashmolean Museum, Oxford.

Indeed, even at their most extravagant, Li Jin's pleasures scenes are tinged with the melancholy of solitude and the unreality of a dream or a memory.