Kai Liu is a Chinese-Canadian artist whose practice is rooted in painting and extends into printmaking and mixed media. Through a semi-abstract approach grounded in representational forms, his work explores landscapes, nature, and the experience of migration. Guided by an interest in how perception, place, and cultural transition shape visual language, Liu draws from Eastern aesthetics to create compositions that balance structure with openness, clarity with ambiguity.
While painting is his primary medium, Liu’s approach is enriched by techniques and haptic sensibilities developed through printmaking. He works with traditional methods such as intaglio, relief, and Chinese woodblock, reinterpreting them through a contemporary lens. The compositional rhythms and textural depth of printmaking often resurface in his paintings, translated through layered pigment and spatial nuance.
Born and raised in China, Liu received comprehensive training in drawing and painting before immigrating to Canada. After a career in graphic design in Ontario, he moved to BC to pursue the visual arts, studying printmaking at Langara College and later earning both a BFA and MFA from Emily Carr University of Art + Design. His work has been exhibited across Canada and featured in various publications. Alongside his studio practice, Liu teaches visual arts in both academic and workshop settings.