The art of Li Chevalier at the Museum of Oriental Art in Venice

VENICE – Il Museum of Oriental Art of Venice hosts, from11 May to 15 September 2024, I Hear the Water Dreaminga monographic exhibition dedicated to the French-Chinese artist Li Chevalier. Curated by Paolo De Grandis and Carlotta Scarpawith the scientific direction of Marta Boscolo Marchi and the critical contribution of Olivier Kaeppelin and Tao Wangthe exhibition presents a selection of thirty ink works on canvas which celebrate Li Chevalier’s intense artistic career and his special bond with Venice.

Li Chevalier: imeeting between cultures

Born in China but raised in Europe, Li Chevalier found inspiration for her art in the lagoon city. It was in Venice that she took her first Italian language lesson in order to best interpret bel canto. Shortly thereafter, fascinated by beauty and art, she began her extensive artistic training in Venice, continued in Florence and Rome, until obtaining a specialization in contemporary art at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, London.

In his works, Li Chevalier reinterprets the ink painting techniquea tradition often confined to an academic historical vision, creating a harmonious dialogue between Chinese ink, canvas, collage and other materials typical of European painting.

Li Chevalier’s works are characterized by deep introspection and careful observation of the world. His paintings evoke suggestive and meditative atmospheres, inviting the public to reflect on universal themes such as nature, spirituality and the human condition.

Li Chevalier, Silent woods I – Inspiration Dvorak, 2020, ink on canvas, 100 x 100 cm

Music and silence in the art of Li Chevalier

Former singer of the Beijing Opera, Li Chevalier cannot ignore music in his creative process. The title of the exhibition, I Hear the Water Dreaming, draws inspiration from a piece by the Japanese composer Tōru Takemitsu. There is a direct parallel between the historic composer and the artist: both operate on a vast cultural fabric, so much so as to absorb influences from both the Western and Eastern worlds, just as both develop an increasingly personal language without, however, ever lapsing into a banal combination of genres or techniques. Takemitsu’s same research also extends to poetry, painting and calligraphy and the concept of emptiness/silence (Ma)between one sound event and another, creates suggestive suspended moments that can be found in the silent spatial backgrounds by Li Chevalier.

Dialogue with the permanent collection

The setup site-specific of the exhibition, curated by Francesca Romana Grecoestablishes a fascinating dialogue with the permanent collection of Museum of Oriental Art, one of the most important in Italy. The exhibition rooms of Ca’ Pesaro host Asian works in a rococo context, creating a high-impact environment that perfectly welcomes the works of Li Chevalier.

In a world marked by tensions and conflicts, Li Chevalier’s art intends to spread a message of hope, returning a delicate and reflective artistic vision aimed at gratifying the senses through a poetic atmosphere.