Ziying Li (b. 1997, China, Guangzhou), is a Chinese artist and ceramist. She is graduating from the MA Ceramics & Glass programme at the Royal College of Art in 2023.

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Ziying studied Fine Art and Ceramics at Maryland Institute College of Art, graduating with a BFA in 2020. Prior to this, she studied Product Design at Guangdong University of Technology. In 2021 Ziying spent four months working as a volunteer at the International Centre of the Pottery Workshop in Jingdezhen, China. This experience kindled her passion for working with clay, inspiring her to apply to the RCA in order to continue exploring the material and her artistic language.

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Ziying is now interested in working with ceramics to capture the subtle movements and invisible forces of nature. She poses questions about the existence of unseen life within her art, wondering if these lifeless, abstract forms unconsciously seek a soul.

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In her work, Ziying captures the often-overlooked moments of nature, expressing them through her creations. Fascinated by the shape and form of water, fire, and clouds, she aims to transform the intangible into the tangible. Through abstract forms, Ziying conveys the vitality and energy of nature, encouraging viewers to reevaluate their surroundings and find beauty in the everyday.

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Ziying’s artwork consists of multiple abstract elements, with which she abstracts and simplifies the growth and movement of the natural world. These elements merge into a larger whole, resembling a frozen, fantastical mysterious forest. By hiding multiple layers of texture beneath a deep-coloured mirror glaze, these textures reveal themselves only when illuminated, mirroring the hidden beauty and power that often goes unnoticed in our daily lives.

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Ziying seeks to represent complexity through simplified forms, acknowledging the impossible mysteries of natural forces beneath the surface of the ordinary. Like silent creatures, her creations silently communicate and call out to observers, urging them to listen and engage with the hidden narratives within her work.