Yi Ling Lai
As an international visual artist and Calligrapher, Ling aspires to evoke interdisciplinary and cross-cultural dialogues in her works.
Yi Ling Lai (b.1997) resides and works in London. She obtained her Bachelor's degree in Calligraphy Art and Chinese Painting from the National Taiwan University of Art in 2019, followed by a Postgraduate Degree in MFA Fine Art from Kingston University in 2021.
Drawing inspiration from both eastern and western traditions, Ling has honed her artistic practice in Chinese calligraphy, paintings, and drawings. By merging these diverse traditions, she explores the ideas, systems, and experiences of language and its inherent limitations. Her artistic exploration involves testing the boundaries and possibilities of traditional Chinese calligraphy, delving into themes of desire, ambivalence, and obsession. Additionally, Yi Ling aims to bridge cultural gaps by making the art of Chinese calligraphy more accessible and appreciated among the diverse community in the UK, catering to people from various backgrounds and interests.
So far, Ling has participated in a number of group exhibitions, including the ‘2018 National Art Exhibition’ held at the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts (2018), ‘Heterogeneity,’ held at Yat-sen Gallery (2019), ‘London Grads Now 21.’ held at Saatchi Gallery (2021), ‘10 ARTISTES' held at Croq’la Vie Gallery (2021), and ‘Circles in Circle' held at OPEN Ealing Gallery (2022). Since winning the National Art Exhibition award in 2018 in Taiwan, Ling has also been shortlisted for London's New Contemporaries in 2021. In the same year, she won an artist residency scholarship from Blue Shop Gallery and was selected as a Rising Star on Saatchi Art's platform in 2022, being the sole Taiwanese artist among 36 global talents. Meanwhile, her large-scale wall painting has been permanently collected by the London School of Economics (LSE) and is exhibited in the Marshall Building.
