Gavin Li

Since the year 2000, I began a journey across Europe, visiting art museums in various countries, immersing myself in the masterpieces of the great painters, and dedicating myself to learning the essence of classical painting. Titian, Rubens, Velázquez, Manet… these towering figures have become guiding lights on my artistic path.

I have always hoped that my own creations would be deeply rooted in the profound traditions of classical painting. There was a time when I, too, was fascinated by those artistic ideologies that advocated “starting from zero,” “overthrowing the past,” and “pursuing novelty for its own sake,” often cloaked in supposedly profound philosophical theories—or by approaches that treated painting merely as a game of visual language. But in the end, I have become ever more convinced that Truth, Goodness, and Beauty are the eternal values of art.

I strive for my work to stay close to real life, and to genuinely reflect the times in which we live. In my creations, I seek to express qualities of national identity, regional character, contemporary atmosphere, and cultural depth—so that the work becomes not only a visual expression, but also a vessel for spirit and culture.

Graduated from Sichuan Fine Arts Institute with a Bachelor of Arts degree