Joy Li

1999 Born in Gansu Province

2021 Graduated from Interdisciplinary Sculpture department of Maryland Institute College of Art with a Bachelor’s degree

SOLO EXHIBITION

2019

The Skin of a Human Being, Gateway Gallery 1, Baltimore, MD

GROUP EXHIBITION 

2021
Without Moi in Future – The Second Flash Biennale Invitation Initiative, Nine Art Museum, Beijing, China ︎ 

DOUBLE INTERVAL, Brook Books, Huangshan, China
Remedy, 1862 Art Center, Shanghai, China
Communication Strategies:From Checkers to complex systems, Time Art Museum, Chengdu, China

Redirecting, Tree Art Museum, Beijing, China

2020

POP-UP Reading Room, OWSPACE, Hangzhou, China

2019

Identity:Smashing Labels, Main 0 Gallery, Baltimore, MD 
Humanscape, Fox Building, Baltimore, MD 
2019 Juried Undergraduate Exhibition, Meyerhoff Gallery, Baltimore, MD 
Coordinates, Piano Gallery, Baltimore, MD 
Our Words Will Still Be Heard, MICA PLACE, Baltimore, MD

2018

2018 Juried Undergraduate Exhibition, Meyerhoff Gallery, Baltimore, MD 
Draw itOUT!, Meyerhoff Gallery, Baltimore, MD 
Chinese Young Artists, Brown Center, Baltimore, MD

OTHERS

2021

Guerrilla War NO.5, Pararailing, Shanghai, China

2020

Collective Dreaming, BBOX, Baltimore, MD 

Director, Producer, Scriptwriter, Costume & Set Designer, Performer

2019

26th Benefit Fashion Show: Catalyst, Falvey Hall, Baltimore, MD 

Selected Designer

Micro-Grant, Maryland Institute College of Art, Baltimore, MD 
Distinguished International Student Award, Maryland Institute College of Art, Baltimore, MD

2018
You’ll Never Meet Mac DeMarco, BBOX, Baltimore, MD

Co-scriptwriter, Performer

Foundation Departmental Recognition Award, Maryland Institute College of Art, Baltimore, MD

2017

Internl Award of Excellence, Maryland Institute College of Art, Baltimore, MD  
Academic Honors Scholarship, Maryland Institute College of Art, Baltimore, MD  
C. V. Starr Scholarship, Maryland Institute College of Art, Baltimore, MD 
Thalheimer Scholarship, Maryland Institute College of Art, Baltimore, MD

I’m obsessed with the tension of interactions between objects, emotions, and relationships. I explore the place where things negotiate, where it is difficult to distinguish whether it is hatred or adoration, pain or pleasure, where an object is on the brink of falling. When different forces restrict each other, a delicate balance and ambiguity appear.

Through my works, I create dreams and games which show authentic feelings and emotions under fictional circumstances and blur the boundary between the real and the fictional. The human body, especially my own body which is the material that I spend every second of my life with, is the backbone of my art practice. I make wearable sculptures to create characters, install stage sculptures to build the environment, and form narratives to guide the plot. The performer doesn’t act but reacts to the surroundings. In these fabricated spaces, the feeling of the performing human body is authentic.

In dreams, we discover our deep and even disgraceful desires; in games, we experience the truth while playing and pretending. I want to invite the audience to experience these for themselves through my works.