epilogue. – Wen Li

Website: wen-art.com
Email: w236li@uwaterloo.ca

Wen Li is a multimedia artist who is currently finishing her undergraduate degree in Fine Arts at the University of Waterloo. Working with line and shape alongside the unintentional and unpredictable, Wen incorporates these visual elements into procedures that are chance-oriented. Her work explores the concepts of contingency and uncontrollability in relation to the body, the subconscious, and the physical properties of materials. Wen originally trained and worked as an engineer in China. She combines her cultural background and Western fine arts training in the creation of abstract paintings, drawings, prints, and artist books.

Artist Statement

I used to work as an electronic engineer. There were strict rules and logics to follow in my daily job: very little was left to chance. Fascinated by the beautiful visual elements created by chance and accidents, I have been exploring the concepts of contingency and uncontrollability in relation to the body, the mind, the unconscious, and the physical properties of materials. I embody these elements into my art-making process to create a range of multi-media abstract works. These works are part of my continuous exploration of the roles of chance and contingency.

My practice is about what lies outside the limits of the human mind and physical body. It uses procedural and contingent processes based on forces that are uncontrollable by human intention to produce abstract outcomes. Artists Jean Arp, Yayoi Kusama, and Joy walker are among those that inspire my work philosophically and procedurally.

Inspired by Kusama’s Infinity Net paintings, I made my own Net series, including drawings, lithographic prints, artist books, installations, and paintings.  The chance and contingency relation is enacted through the mark-making process, the quadrilaterals are repeatedly added to connect with the previous drawing. The sizes and shapes are randomly created. The simplicity of line allows more control to unintentional and unpredictable creations. The finished artworks further include other factors that are also chance-oriented, such as materiality, gravity, light, shadows, and more.

Interview Questions

What aspects of your life inspire your art?

I used to work as an electronic engineer. There were strict rules and logics to follow in my daily job and very little was left to chance (for good reason, of course). However, deep down I always wondered about the unpredictable and uncontrollable things in life. My studio practice combines my cultural background and Western fine arts training, releasing me from the restrictions of my engineering thinking and embracing the accident and uncertainty of it all.

What are your preferred mediums and why are you drawn to them?

I do not have a preferred medium. My works range from paintings, drawings and prints to installations and artist books.

Where do you see yourself in the future? How do you see your art practice evolving?

I have made different artworks over the years. Only recently I have realized that I am drawn to abstract art that is created by chance and contingency. In the future, I will continue exploring this theme.

What do you want people to know about you as an artist?

I am a multi-media artist working with lines and shapes alongside the unintentional and the unpredictable.  

What is the most significant thing you will take away from your Fine Arts studies?

It’s never too late to start your art journey!

Ten years ago, I went back to school aiming for a career change. The first course I took at University of Waterloo was Fine 100, and from there, I started my own art journey, which I had never dreamed of. It has been a fantastic and fulfilling experience.