Andrew Li (b. 1965) is a busy man. He always seems to be hurrying off somewhere, whether to class at San Francisco City College, or into the studio at Creativity Explored; his energy is boundless. This is reflected in his loose, gestural drawings and rapid art making process. A true product of his native Shanghai, Li’s most frequent subject matter is cityscapes, machines, and groups of people. These subjects, like the artist himself, are almost always in motion, moving through cities rendered with a precise, selective attention to detail and perspective. There is little distinction between the form and content of Li’s work. All aspects, from ink-splattered process to finished piece, are integrated. What emerges encapsulates how the eye reads the urban environment; how it latches on to certain details and summarizes others, how it makes sense of all the dizzying activity encountered on a busy street. His artwork is specific yet universal, and because of this, has become very popular. In 2009 his rendering of a San Francisco Muni bus and its passengers was chosen to adorn an Actions REALized skateboard deck as one facet of our partnership with Real Skateboards and Deluxe Distribution. He also had a solo show at the Jack Fischer Gallery in San Francisco. Li has been with Creativity Explored since 1990.
