Senior studio exhibition

The connection between man and nature，2023，wood panel/paper，Henry Li

Artist statement

The connection between man and nature, 2023

Mixed media on wood panel and paper

Abstract drawing is a new beginning for me. When I had my first art class in Canada, I didn't know how to use abstract drawing to show what I wanted to express. Drawing something very realistic was success for me. When I learned about abstract drawing, I realized that the content it presented was much more meaningful than drawing something very realistically.

Humans are the product of nature, a part of nature, humans belong to nature,  human survival, and development depend on nature.  In these drawings human skin tissues and organs are connected with the bodies of plants. Human blood vessels are the stems of plants, human skin is the texture of plants, and the human body and the cells of plants are connected to each other. In these drawings I seek to make visible the invisible bond  between humans and nature. The lines and layers of these drawings express the vitality of nature when I touch plants. For me the lines express the relationship between nature and human beings. 

The materials I use are mostly natural: paper, wood panel, and materials collected from nature. I burn branches to make black charcoal, I collect leaves and stems of plants as tools to create texture and line. In these artworks, I mainly focus on lines, shapes, textures, and other elements to express a symbiotic feeling between humans and plants, and showing  that we should protect the environment as it is part of our bodies。