Desire and Transformation Through the Eyes of an Asian Woman
Written by ART Driven Tokyo
fadeproof waterproof ink on archival paper 9″ × 12″ (22.9 cm × 30.5cm)
paper signed, titled, and dated recto in pencil
No. 94859
© Li Hei Di, courtesy Pace Gallery
Starting May 29, 2025, Li Hei Di‘s solo exhibition “Tongues of Flare“ will be held at Pace Gallery in Hong Kong. The exhibition features 11 new paintings and wooden sculptures, inviting viewers into a dreamlike world.
Born in 1997 in Shenyang, China, Li Hei Di is currently based in London. Her works are known for their phantasmagoric imagery, where translucent bodies and fragments—resembling ghosts—emerge and vanish on vividly composed canvases that merge abstraction and figuration. The exhibition centers on themes of self-discovery and transformation.
Li’s artworks often feature amorphous, ghost-like entities. These confront viewers with desire and emotions lurking deep within the self. Her paintings frequently stir the heart with a mix of love, confusion, and sensuality.
A notable aspect of her work is the influence of literature. She draws inspiration from Georges Bataille’s Eroticism, Han Kang’s The Vegetarian, and Torrey Peters’ Detransition, Baby, incorporating profound insights into desire, metamorphosis, and monstrosity. For instance, the woman who wishes to become a plant in The Vegetarian symbolizes a desire to shed the self and become something new—an idea that resonates with Li’s depiction of the “shifting body.”
Also featured in the exhibition are wooden sculptures that depict abstract bodies lying in cradle-like boats—visual metaphors for the descent of body and mind into the depths of the unconscious during sleep.
“Tongues of Flare” gently dissolves the boundaries between reality and fantasy, interior and exterior, and life and death, inviting us to reflect on the ever-changing nature of existence.
Exhibition Details
Li Hei Di: Tongues of Flare
May 29 – August 29, 2025
12/F, H Queen’s
80 Queen’s Road Central
Hong Kong
