# Kai Liu ## Posts - [2 - Woodblocks and the Traditional Carving Blade](https://liu-kai.com/innovating-chinese-printmaking-contemporary-praxis-2/): Traditionally, Chinese water-based woodblock printmaking uses pearwood; however, it is not readily available in Canada. At a local wood store, I discovered alternatives like cherry, maple, ash, and basswood. The cherrywood I purchased was a long, one-inch-thick solid plank, while other panels labelled “hobby board” are much thinner, about 1/4… - [1 - Ba Zi Making](https://liu-kai.com/innovating-chinese-printmaking-contemporary-praxis-1/): The initial step in this research is to develop tools, starting with a Chinese-style baren called 耙子 (ba zi). Unlike the Japanese round baren, the Chinese ba zi is rectangular, larger, and heavier, though its surface is softer. The body of the ba zi is crafted from solid wood. The… - [2025 – Scattered in the Now 2](https://liu-kai.com/2025-scattered-in-the-now-2/): This series reflects on the fragile structure of presence. Fragmented forms of nature drift through layered pigments, each image unfolding as a quiet contemplation of change. The landscapes move through transformation and migration, tracing passages across places, memories, and inner states. Within these shifting fragments, perception finds rhythm in uncertainty.… - [2025 - Scattered in the Now](https://liu-kai.com/2025-scattered-in-the-now/): This series reflects on the fragile structure of presence. Fragmented forms of nature drift through layered pigments, each image unfolding as a quiet contemplation of change. The landscapes move through transformation and migration, tracing passages across places, memories, and inner states. Within these shifting fragments, perception finds rhythm in uncertainty.… - [2025 The Other Shore](https://liu-kai.com/2025-the-other-shore/): In my ongoing series of prints and print-based mixed media works titled “The Other Shore,” I explore seascapes and the natural formations found along the breathtaking West Coast. This artistic journey comes to life through the intriguing and tactile process of collagraph printmaking, allowing me to capture the essence of the textures… - [2024 - Water Lilies](https://liu-kai.com/2024-water-lilies/) - [2024 - Unforeseen Clouds](https://liu-kai.com/2024-unforeseen-clouds/): This body of work is an extension of my exploration of the “meaning” and “appearance” of landscapes during my graduate studies. The central theme of this series is clouds, which frequently appear in traditional paintings and literature as symbols of transformation and fluidity. These works reflect my thoughts on “change” and “continuity”… - [2024 - Coastal Reverie](https://liu-kai.com/coastal-reverie/): “Coastal Reverie” was my solo exhibition at the Visual Space Gallery in Vancouver, BC, in September 2024. It is a collection of paintings that reflects my personal journey along the West Coast of Canada, capturing the region’s diverse and breathtaking nature. The collection portrays the majestic mountains, vast oceans, ever-changing… - [2024 - Seaside Compositions](https://liu-kai.com/seaside-compositions/): “Seaside Compositions” was one of my painting exhibitions in the summer of 2024 at THIS Gallery in Vancouver, BC. The exhibition celebrates the dynamic interplay between land, sea, plants, and sky through semi-abstract art. This collection showcases eight paintings that depict the intricate layers of coastal landscapes, blurring the lines between… - [2024 - Mountains and Clouds](https://liu-kai.com/2024-mountains-and-clouds/): In my MFA project, I explore the concept of hybridity by combining various artistic methods to create a unique mixed-media approach. This involves integrating collagraph printmaking with painting techniques to emphasize tactile engagement during the creative process. My goal is to showcase the importance of reconnecting with and preserving the… - [2023 - Neither Mountains nor Water](https://liu-kai.com/2023-neither-mountains-nor-water/): The “Neither Mountains nor Water” series delves into contemplative abstraction by blending painting and printmaking techniques to evoke the fluidity of time and the emotional resonance of nature. This body of work, created as part of my MFA thesis, draws on Chinese ink painting principles, moving beyond literal representation to capture the… - [2023 - Near, So Far - State of Practice Exhibition](https://liu-kai.com/2023-near-so-far-state-of-practice-exhibition/) - [2023 - Eleven Collagraph on Xuan Paper](https://liu-kai.com/2023-element-collagraph-on-xuan-paper/) - [2023 - Water Lilies](https://liu-kai.com/2023-water-lilies/) - [2023 - Untitled Vancouver Sceneries - Prints](https://liu-kai.com/2023-untitled-vancouver-sceneries-prints/) - [2023 - Untitled Vancouver Sceneries](https://liu-kai.com/2023-untitled-vancouver-sceneries/) - [2022-2023 Victoria Series](https://liu-kai.com/2022-2024-victoria-series/) - [2022 - Untitled Vancouver Sceneries](https://liu-kai.com/2022-untitled-vancouver-sceneries/) - [2021 – Vancouver Sceneries](https://liu-kai.com/2021-vancouver-sceneries/) - [2020 - Vancouver Sceneries](https://liu-kai.com/2021-vancouver-sceneries-2/) ## Pages - [Innovating Chinese Printmaking: Contemporary Praxis](https://liu-kai.com/projects/innovating-chinese-printmaking-contemporary-praxis/): Deeply honoured to have received a Canada Council for the Arts Project Grant (Research and Creation) for my upcoming project. This support enables me to conduct research into traditional Chinese woodblock printmaking. This project holds significant importance for me, as it bridges cultural heritage with contemporary practice. Thank you, Canada Council… - [Projects](https://liu-kai.com/projects/) - [Availables](https://liu-kai.com/availables/) - [Test](https://liu-kai.com/test/) - [Contact](https://liu-kai.com/contact/) - [About](https://liu-kai.com/about/): 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 observation, his work explores the relationships between landscape, nature, and the experience of migration. Guided by an interest in how perception, place, and cultural transition… [comment]: # (Generated by Hostinger Tools Plugin)