Li Yushuang, born in Xuzhou, Jiangsu in 1935, is the eldest son of Chinese painting master Li Keran. His mother, Su'e, was the eldest daughter of the Shanghai opera master Su Shaoqing. The specific artistic atmosphere started to impress Li Yushuang since his childhood. In 1956, Li Yushuang, who graduated from Beijing Mechanical Manufacturing School, went to the Shipbuilding Institute of Shanghai Jiao Tong University for further studies. Afterwards, he was assigned to Zhengzhou Machine Manufacturing School to teach engineering mechanics, meanwhile he insisted on artistic creation during his spare time. At this period, he mainly focused on watercolor painting, mostly depicted the scenery of schools and surrounding villages, and created a large number of watercolor paintings and sketches based on the subject of natural scenery. In 1969, he went to Lushan, Pingdingshan in Henan Province and other places for outdoors sketch, and began to paint mountain scenery, river beaches and folk customs with xuan paper and ink. In 1971, Li Yushuang started researching the relationship between art and visual sight. He operated relative models and visual experiments, and gradually formed a unique set of observation methods and painting systems, which is so called as "light coding method". Li Yushuang returned to Beijing in 1986, afterwards he gradually began to explore the comprehensive use of ink, acrylic and other materials, persisting in the creation of sketches. His studio was built in 2010, however since then all the sketching was still finished outdoors. He began to create large-scale works, using comprehensive materials, intending to combine Western materials with the traditional materials of Chinese paper. In 2015, Today Art Museum held Li Yushuang's solo exhibition, displaying more than 60 artworks. In 2017, he visited Japan, Taiwan, New Zealand and other places for sketching. In May 2018, National Centre for the Performing Arts of China held a solo art exhibition for Li Yushuang, which was praised by experts as "Monet of the East".
Read MoreArtistic Theory: Li Yushuang believes that the painting system and the cognitive system are comparable. He regards the process of painting as the recognition towards the world and life, thus his painting faithfully represents his life. He has been immersed in scientific research and art creations for more than 60 years, pursuing nature almost like a pilgrimage. Li Yushuang believes that "light coding" is the first message God sent to mankind, thus he faithfully presented these messages without any increase or decrease. The system of "light coding" triggers his presentation of long-term tireless observation training based on visual research. His paintings neither depicted mechanical "artificial objects" nor subjective "painting images". His vision has surpassed the color of light and shadow in painting, touching the nature of the universe which consists of all mundane objects in the world. In this regard, through the artistic journey of exploring the mystery of "light coding", Li Yushuang witnessed an endless world. As an 85-year-old Chinese contemporary artist, Li Yushuang insists in drawing from nature and creating in nature, which is quite rare in Chinese art field; with a science and engineering background, he creates art in a systematic and scientific way and expresses his understanding of the universe and nature through his "science eyes".
Significant Exhibitions: "Yushuang's Sketches-2018 Transoceanic Travelling Sketches Exhibition" (Whitebox Choice, Beijing, 2018), "Colors in the Field - Solo Exhibition of Li Yushuang" (World Food Prize Hall of Laureates, Des Moines, Lowa, 2018), "Draw what I see - Li Yushuang Painting Solo Exhibitions" (National Centre for the Performing Arts, Beijing, 2018), "The Nature Showed by my eyes Li Yushuang " (SZ Art Center, Beijing, 2018), "From and For Nature: Landscape in the perspective of Light-Code Art Exhibition of Li Yushuang's six decades on sketches and paintings" (Today Art Museum, Beijing, 2015).
