Chuqian Li
Warm abstract oil painting of a coiled form loosening into light
Unravel, 2017 · Oil on canvas · 14 × 18 in
Abstract oil painting of a pale ribbon of light crossing a dark oval
Portal, 2017 · Oil on canvas · 16 × 20 in
Soft pink and umber abstract painting with a single dark rectangular mark
Cornerstone, 2017 · Oil on canvas · 20 × 16 in
Abstract oil painting of pale winding forms against a deep maroon ground
Am I a Vessel?, 2026 · Oil on canvas · 16 × 20 in
Painting of a rose-colored shower fixture against pale green tile
Shower, 2026 · Oil on canvas · 9 × 12 in
Plein air painting of red-roofed buildings below a dark treeline in the Presidio
Presidio, Red Roofs, 2024 · Oil on canvas board · 11 × 14 in
Oil study of a bird of paradise flower against dense green leaves
Bird of Paradise, 2025 · Oil on panel · 9 × 12 in
Plein air painting of surf and headlands at Ocean Beach
Ocean Beach, 2025 · Oil on canvas board · 12 × 16 in
Oil portrait of the artist's father in warm light against a blue ground
Hopeful, 2024 · Oil on canvas · 12 × 12 in
Portrait of the artist's grandfather holding a phone beside a bright window
Curiosity, 2023 · Acrylic on canvas · 11 × 14 in
Watercolor of a rainy highway under an overpass, a car with red taillights ahead
Rain, 2026 · Sketchbook
Watercolor of a surfer paddling out through blue-violet waves
Surfer, 2026 · Sketchbook
Watercolor of two swimmers standing in surf at sunset
Untitled, 2026 · Sketchbook

About

Chuqian Li is a painter based in San Francisco. Her work explores the psychological condition of contemporary life — the isolation and paradoxical freedom of moving through systems built for efficiency, commerce, and constant connection. Rather than depict this directly, she works through Einfühlung, projecting interior feeling into abstract shape and movement, gesturing toward a collective unconscious.

Her practice moves between observation and abstraction: plein air studies and images drawn from ordinary, intimate moments in modern life feed directly into her abstract compositions.

Contact

For available works, commissions, and studio visits.