BIOGRAPHY

 Beili Liu

Beili Liu is a visual artist who creates material-and-process-driven site-responsive

Installations and two-dimensional works, often times embodying transience, fragility, and the passage of time. Liu’s works are engaged with multifaceted dichotomies: lightness contrasted with heft; fierceness countered by resilience; and chaos balanced by quiet order. Working with commonplace materials and elements such as thread, scissors, paper, stone, fire, charcoal and water, Liu manipulates their intrinsic qualities to extrapolate complex cultural narratives. Janet Koplos spoke of Liu’s works as “materially simple but metaphorically rich” (Art in America Review, April 2009).

Beili Liu’s work has been exhibited in Asia, Europe and across the United States. She has held solo exhibitions at venues such as the Hå Gamle Prestegard, Norwegian National Art and Culture Center (2016, 2011), Hua Gallery, London, UK (2012), Galerie An Der Pinakothek Der Moderne, Munich, Germany (2011), Elisabeth de Brabant Art Center, Shanghai (2009), and the Chinese Culture Foundation, San Francisco (2015, 2008). Liu’s work has been showcased in group exhibitions at the National Museum for Women in the Arts, Washington, D.C. (2012), Hamburg Art Week, Germany (2012), the Kaunas Biennale, Lithuania (2011), the 23rd and 25th Miniartextil International Contemporary Fiber Art exhibitions in Como, Italy (2015, 2013), and the 2nd Hangzhou Fiber Art Triennial, China (2016), among many others. Liu’s work has received critical reviews from publication including Art in America, Sacchi Review, UK, Helsinki Sanomat News, Finland, Morgenbladet, Norway, China Daily, Yishu, Journal of Contemporary Chinese Art, Hamburg Abendblatt, Vita (Life) Magazine, Italy, ArtSlant, New York Times, San Francisco Examiner and LA Confidential.

Among her many honors, Liu was awarded the Joan Mitchell Foundation Painters and Sculptors Grant Award (2016) and was named a Texas State Three-Dimensional Artist of 2018. She received support from a National Endowments for the Arts Grant for her residency and solo exhibition “Chine” at the Museum of Southeast Texas (Institutional Grantee, 2014). Beili Liu was the lead visual artist for a Robert Rauschenberg Foundation Artistic Innovation And Collaboration Grant supported public art project “Thirst” at the Lady Bird Lake in Austin Texas, (institutional grantee: Women and Their Work Gallery, 2013). She received a Distinction award at the Kaunas Biennial Lithuania (2011), and was honored by a San Francisco Major’s Award (2008) for her contribution to cultural exchange.

Born in Jilin, China, Beili Liu now lives and works in Austin, Texas. Liu received her M.F.A. from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and is a Professor of Art at the University of Texas at Austin.

Selected Solo Exhibitions

2016 Where the Winds are Gaining Speed, Hâ Gamle Prestegard, Norwegian National Contemporary Art Center, Hâ, Norway

2016 Thin Air, Wright Gallery, College of Architecture, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX

2015 Sky Bridge, Chinese Culture Foundation of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, curated by Abby Chen

2015 Stratus, Grace Museum, Abilene, TX

2014 Chine, The Art Museum of Southeast Texas, Beaumont, TX

2014 Yuan, University of Hawaii Gallery, University of Hawaii at Manoa

2013 Beili Liu: Process Drawings, Courtyard Gallery, University of Texas at Austin

2013 Amass, University Gallery, Texas State University, San Marcos

2012 Rise and Fall, HUA Gallery, London, UK

2012 Beili Liu: “Der rote Taum”, Hamburg Art Week, Emporio Quarter, Hamburg Germany

2012 Between Wind and Water, Vessel Galley, Oakland CA

2011 Installations & Wandarbeiten, Galerie An Der Pinakothek Der Moderne, Munich, Germany

2011 Recall, Hâ Gamle Prestegard, Norwegian National Contemporary Art Center, Hâ, Norway

2011 Drawn, Robert Hillestad Textiles Gallery, University of Nebraska, Lincoln

2011 Extent, Form/Space Atelier, Seattle

2011 The Mending Project, Women and their Work Gallery, Austin, TX

2010 Fray, Asia Unlimited Gallery, Berlin, Germanyu

2010 half empty.half full, Site-Specific Installations, Nordisk Kunst Platform Gallery, Brusand, Norway

2010 One, Another, Buffalo Arts Studio, Buffalo, New York

2009 Mapping Memories, Beili Liu and Takafumi Ide, (two persons exhibition), Castle Gallery, The College of New Rochelle, NY

2009 In between, Elisabeth De Brabant Art Center, Shanghai, China

2009 Bound, d Berman Gallery, Austin, TX

2009 Miasma, Three Walls Gallery, Blue Star Contemporary Art Center, San Antonio, TX

2009 Three Thousand Troubled Threads, Taryn Teresea Gallery, Los Angeles

2008 LURE / 惑, Chinese Culture Center of San Francisco, Curated by Abby Chen

2008 LURE, Urban Institute of Contemporary Art, Grand Rapids, Michigan

2006 Recall (shadow), Gallery One, Ann Arbor, Michigan

2006 Recall (barn), A site-specific installation, Lloyd Hall Scholars Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

2005 Breadth, A Site-Specific Installation, Lloyd Hall Scholars Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

2004 The little House Stands on the Prairie, a site-specific installation, Art Farm, Nebraska

2004 Resurrection, Matrix Gallery, in collaboration with Mark Nelson, Ann Arbor, Michigan

2003 In-prints – Recent 2D work by Beili Liu, Center for the Education of Women, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

2003 Fixtures, In collaboration with Kendall Babi, The Institute for the Humanities, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

2002 Wayfinding, Michigan Guild Gallery, Ann Arbor, Michigan

2002 Solid State, Warren Robbins Gallery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

Selected Group Exhibitions

2016 Asia-Europe III, International Fiber Art traveling exhibition, Deutsches Textilmuseum, Krefeld, Germany

2016 Hangzhou Triennial of Fiber Art, Zhejiang Art Museum, China

2015 Every One to the Table. (Recall/Como) Arte & Arte Foundation, Como, Italy, curated by Luciano Carame

2015 Needle Works, Goldsmith College, London, UK, curated by Xu Jia

2014 Inquiry, Visual Arts Center, University of Texas, Austin

2014 Art Silicon Valley Art San Francisco Contemporary Art Fair, Vessel Gallery, Oakland, CA

2014 M&M: Material + Meditation, Vessel Gallery, New York, NY

2014 Confluence and Collision, Asian Cultural Center Manhattan Art Gallery, New York, NY

2014 Shades of Summer, Vessel Gallery, Oakland, CA

2014 EROS, (Lure/Montrouge), Musee de la Dentelle in Caudry, Montrouge, France

2013 EROS, (Lure/Como), 23rd International Exhibition of Contemporary Textile Art, Vila Olmo, Arte&Arte, Como, Italy, Curated by Luciano Caramel

2013 Across the Divide, traveling exhibition, Missouri State University Southwest, Oklahoma State University, and Oklahoma State University

2013 POPIERUKAS 2013, Kaunas Photography Gallery, Kaunas, Lithuania

2013 Artifact, Tiny Park Gallery, Austin, TX

2012 POST LINEAR, Shawn Camp, Beili Liu, and Sandra Pratt. Gallery Shoal Creek, Austin, TX

2012 High Fiber: Women to Watch, National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, D.C.

2012 ‘From Lausanne to Beijing’ The 7th International Fiber Art Biennale, Nantong, China

2012 Contemplative Ink, Asian Art Piers, New York, NY

2012 InterGalactic, Dunedin Fine Art Center, FL

2012 Quantified Self, Gallery Project, Ann Arbor, MI

2012 Woven Through Time, Vessel Gallery, Oakland, CA

2012 Texas Draws II, Southwest School of Art, San Antonio, TX

2012 Obsessive Worlds, Alexandria Museum of Art, LA

2012 Across the Divide, Visual Art Center, University of Texas at Austin

2011 Across the Divide, Corssman Gallery, University of Wisconsin, Whitewater

2010 Combined, Visual Arts Center, University of Texas at Austin 2010

2010 Nature/Culture, Castle Gallery, New Rochelle, NY

2010 Unraveling Tradition, 516ARTS, Albuquerque, NM 87102

2010 Mind, Gallery Project, Ann Arbor, Michigan

2010 By a Thread, San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art

2009 IT IS BEAUTIFUL HERE, Granary Gallery, Fiskars, Finland

2009 IF/ELSE, Detroit Industrial Project, Detroit /mi

2009 A Strange Land, Creative Research Lab, Austin, TX

2009 The Storm Show, Work.Ann Arbor Gallery, Ann Arbor, MI

2008 San Francisco International Arts Festival

2008 11th Annual United States of Asian American Film Festival, Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center, San Francisc

2008 Ying-inspired by Chinese art and History, Museum of Art and History, Santa Cruz, California

2008 Aging with Attitude, Slusser Gallery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

2007 Earth World, Bu-Con, Russell Industrial Center, Detroit

2007 Turning Point, Gallery Project, Ann Arbor, Michigan

2007 Transparent, Granary Gallery, Onoma foundation of Finalnd, Fiskars, Finland

2007 in.stal.la.tion, Anton Art Center, Mount Clements, Michigan

2007 “Ay, madam, it is common.” Detroit Industrial Projects

2007 Water Media +m, curated by Maria Ruggiero, Riverside Art enter, Ypsilanti, Michigan

2006 12+12, Washington Street Gallery, Ann Arbor, Michigan

2006 Minimal and Maximum, Gallery Project, Ann Arbor, Michigan

2006 Just a squirrel, trying to find a nut, Forum Gallery, Cranbrook Academy of Art

2006 Adam and Eve, Holland Arts Council, Michigan, Creative Arts Center, Pontiac Michigan, Riverside Arts Center, Ypsilanti, Michigan

2005 Collaborators’ 2, Gallery Project, Ann Arbor, Michigan

2005 The Nature of Paper, Woman Made Gallery, Chicago

2005 Plexus, 4731 Gallery, Detroit

2004 Art Harvest, Art Farm, Marquette, Nebraska

2004 42nd Annual Ann Arbor Film Festival installations, Historical Michigan Theater, Ann Arbor

2003 Sound, Image, Story, Media Union Art Gallery, Ann Arbor, Michigan

2003 Above, Below, J.P.Slusser Gallery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

Selected Awards and Prizes

2017 Facebook Artist in Residence, Austin, TX

2016 Joan Mitchell Painters and Sculptors Award

2016 Summer Research Fellowship, University of Texas, Austin

2015 Research Grant, College of Fine Arts, University of Texas, Austin

2014 $10,000 to support “Beili Liu: Opposing Forces,” a site-specific installation and residency program

2014 Nominated Finalist, Texas State Artist, Texas Commission on the Arts

2014 Special Research Grant, University of Texas, Austin

2014 Austin Critics Table Award: Public Art Project, Thirst

2013 Faculty Research Fellowship, University of Texas,

2013 Austin Critics Table Award, Out Standing Works of Art: Installation

2013 Lead visual artist, Robert Rauschenberg Foundation Artistic Innovation And Collaboration Grant, In support of Thirst public art project, institutional grantee: Center of Women and Their Work, Austin TX

2012 Regents' Outstanding Teaching Award, University of Texas System

2011 Walter and Gina Ducloux Fellowship, University of Texas at Austin

2011 Distinction Award, Kaunas Biennial TEXTILE 11

2011 2011 Austin Critics Table Award: Outstanding Artist

2011 2011 Austin Critics Table Award: Outstanding Works of Art: Installation

2010 3rd Prize, ArtPRIZE 2010, Grand Rapids, MI

2010 Austin Critics Table Awards—Outstanding Solo Exhibition, Bound, D Berman Gallery

2009 Artist of the Year Award, Austin Museum of Art and Austin Visual Arts Association

2009 Artist Residency Fellowship, Fundación Valparaíso, Spain

2008 Ronald Colins Distinguished Faculty Award for Creative Activity, Eastern Michigan University

2008 Josephine Nevins Keal Fellowship, Eastern Michigan University

2007 Artist Residency Fellowship, Onoma Foundation Fiskars Artist Residency, Finland

2007 Artistic Recognition Award, Eastern Michigan University

2007 Best of Show—75th Anniversary All-Media Exhibition, Detroit Artist Market

2007 Josephine Nevins Keal Fellowship, Eastern Michigan University

2006 Artist Residency Fellowship, Djerassi Foundation, CA

2006 Efellows Award, Eastern Michigan University

2004 Artist Residency, Art Farm Artist residency, NE

2002 Barbour Scholarship, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

2002 Elsie Choy Lee Scholarship, Center for the Education of Women, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

Selected Bibliography – Press and Reviews

2014 In Search of Balance, Beili Liu, Viginie Luc, October-November, CLES Magazine, France

2014 Creative Spotlight: Episode #326 – Beili Liu, Japancinema.net

2014 Beili Liu: Thirst, 04.22.2014, Art Days

2014 YUAN: the origins and circles of Hawai‘i expressed in art installation, Ka Leo, The Voice, Honolulu, HI

2014 UH Manoa Art Gallery displays Yuan, University of Hawaii News

2014 Thirst, ART REPUBLIK quarterly magazine, Singapore

2014 One Thousand People, one artist recommends the next, #120, MilPersonas Agency, Barcelona, Spain

2014 Art and Soul, Celebrate Oakland, CA, (Stalemate), January 2014, US AIRWAY Magazine

2014 Public art takes a leap forward, Jeanne Claire van Ryzin, 01.04.14, Austin American Statesman

2014 Top 10 Creative Things (2013), Wayne Alan Brenner, 01.03.2014, Austin Chronicle

2013 Nothing's Obscure, Wayne, Alan Brenner, 05.09.13, Austin Chronicle

2013 The Mending Project, 03.14.13, iGNANT, Berlin, Germany, 03.14.13, 123inspriation

2013 Recent Acquisitions: New Exhibition Forever Alters the Chinese Culture Foundation, Alexis Coe, 1.4.13,

2012 'Post Linear', Wayne Alan Brenner, 12.17.12, Austin Chronicle

2012 Bridging The Gaps, GWAI – Der Kunst Navigator, Hamburg, Germany

2012 Bridge-it—Hamburg Art Week Highlights, 06.01.12 Kulturograf, Hamburg, Germany

2012 Hamburg Art Week: Noch eine Fontäne an der Alster, Wolf Jahn, 06.01.12, Hamburg Abendblatt

2012 Beili Liu - Vessel Gallery, DeWitt Cheng, April/May 2012, Artillery Magazine

2012 Beili Liu, Gallery Pick, K. Brown, 04.26.12, Tribeza Magazine, Austin TX

2012 ‘Texas Draws II', Steve Bennett, 03.18.12, My San Antonio

2012 Playful art dominates new UT exhibit, Luke Quinton, 02.15.12, Austin American Statesman

2012 Traces and Trajectories at Vessel Gallery, DeWitt Cheng, 02.01.12, East Bay Express

2012 Beili Liu, “Between Wind and Water” at Vessel Gallery, DeWitt Cheng, 01.11.12, Oakland Art Beat

2012 Profound Daily/Featured Artist Profile, Case da Abitare居 Design Magazine, Beijing, China

2011 World Textiles, 09.20.11, Kaunas Daily, Lithuania

2011 Chinese Discoveries, Von Evelyn Vogel, 11.12.11, Sueddeutsche Zeitung, Munich, Germany

2011 A subtle and meditative beauty, 11.06.11, Styllure, Munich, Germany

2011 Step into Obsessive Worlds, Steve Junious, 09.22.11, Beaumont Enterprise, Beaumont TX

2011 Chinese Artist Beili Liu’s Mending Project, 华裔艺术家刘北立的缝补工程, 雅昌艺术网

2011 Recall, virtualwallworld, Stavanger, Norway

Education

2003 University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MFA, Mixed Media

2001 University of Tennessee, Knoxville, BA, Magna Cum Laude, Graphic Design

1994 Shenzhen University, China, Assoc. BA, Chinese Literature and Communication

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