This series of works is inspired by the subtle sense of connection I feel during my travels across Asia—an experience rooted in shared aesthetics and culinary delights. 

I have a deep admiration for calligraphy, especially the origins of Chinese characters as pictograms. Chinese writing originally stemmed from images, where symbols were derived from the shapes of objects, and I find this concept fascinating. I aim to reinterpret this tradition by using the imagery and form of Chinese characters to re-describe some of my favorite cultural symbols from Asia.

In my illustrations, I intentionally create a dialogue between text and image, highlighting the relationship between them. Through this, I hope to express the familiar yet unique beauty of different Asian cultures and convey a sense of interconnectedness that transcends boundaries—an exploration of shared visual and cultural aesthetics.

Rooted in illustration and visual arts, Yulong develops his work through personal interpretation rather than a macro or sociological lens. He draws inspiration from existing artworks and histories, responding intuitively to what resonates with him rather than constructing conceptual narratives from a distance.

Recently exploring ceramics, Yulong became interested in how ceramic history reflects cultural mobility and exchange, such as the Middle Eastern origins of blue-and-white porcelain pigments and their influence on Chinese motifs. During his time in Krakow, museum objects and local folk crafts further shaped his perspective, revealing how similar colors can carry very different visual and cultural meanings.

This series presents imagined ceramic tableware that merges these observations with Yulong’s own illustrative language, positioning everyday objects as a space where personal memory, cross-cultural reference, and artistic expression quietly intersect.

Institution supported by the Culture Service of the Polish Institution in Beijing 

In traditional Chinese New Year celebrations, the use of Chinese knots as home decorations symbolizes the strong connections within families and communities. During this festive period, families gather to enjoy the New Year's Eve dinner together, reinforcing bonds and shared heritage.

In Yulong's view, this activity carries a dual significance—on one hand, it represents emotional connection and unity; on the other, it can also highlight underlying family conflicts and entanglements. This duality reflects the complex nature of family relationships and social bonds during the holiday season.

This illustration was created for an exchange course project focused on representing personal identity. The concept centers around my family’s Chinese New Year reunion dinner, as food serves as a meaningful way to reflect on culture and personal connection.

The project highlights eight dishes I would cook for my parents during this traditional festival. These dishes draw inspiration from my hometown, the city I currently live in, and my boyfriend’s kitchen. Each dish is more than just a meal; it symbolizes the relationships built through shared recipes and the profound impact these people have had on me.

The food cooked represents a unique way of expressing love, while also serving as a reflection of my own memories, experiences, and sense of self. Through these dishes, a deeper understanding of identity and connection is formed.

A personal project named FULLNESS was used to record how to make myself feel satisfied physically and psychologically during this time and to try a complete composition on the canvas.

In Yulong’s watercolor floral and ceramic works, he was deeply influenced by Robert Mapplethorpe’s floral photography. Mapplethorpe’s unique ability to capture the form and detail of flowers, especially in his high-contrast black-and-white images, highlights the delicate lines and contours of the flowers while conveying a sense of mystery and solemnity. Inspired by this style, he sought to achieve a similar precision in his work, particularly through delicate handling of light, shadow, and texture.

He aims to explore the fragility and enduring beauty of flowers, creating a balance between simplicity and depth that resonates with Mapplethorpe’s powerful and intricate visual language.

Pottery work collection by Yulong Lli

In the simplicity of a petal, I find infinite beauty. This collection of watercolor florals and ceramics reflects my exploration of the quiet elegance in nature. Through minimalist strokes and delicate shapes, I’ve sought to capture the essence of flowers—fragile yet enduring, simple yet profound. Each piece is a meditation on balance and serenity, inviting the viewer to pause, reflect, and connect with the natural world in its most understated form.

It captures the delicate, ephemeral nature of both flowers and ceramics, emphasizing their subtle strength and vulnerability. This title aligns well with the minimalist, serene style of your watercolor florals and ceramics, suggesting a deeper exploration of how fragility can hold profound beauty. 

I randomly painted some watercolor pieces every weekend to relax. This process is similar to the experience of being a residency artist, which is what the name Home Residency comes from.

Typically, without responding to a commission, the brush takes over as a substitute for thought, and flowing paint preserves the immediacy of the decisive brushstrokes in a single stroke, revealing a more immediate sense of immediacy and consciousness. The flat pictorial spaces depict intimate but calming domestic vignettes, plants, objects, and ingredients that evoke collective memories.

This personal project reflects my fascination with pottery. I had the opportunity to merge my passion for illustration with ceramics, using clay and underglaze to create a series of pieces.

Pottery work collection by Yulong Lli

During an artist residency in Krakow, Yulong developed a watercolor sketch diary later produced through Riso printing. Positioned between a poster and an art book, the work embraces an intentionally informal format. Rather than conventional binding, the diary was folded to preserve a sense of spontaneity and openness, reflecting a relaxed mode of creation rooted in daily observation.

The project was shaped by a museum workshop on the history of the color blue. Yulong chose blue for its personal and cultural resonance, drawing inspiration from the monochromes of Yves Klein, the film Blue by Derek Jarman, and the shared blue tonalities found in both Polish and Chinese ceramics. The works capture folk crafts, graffiti fragments, and fleeting street scenes, from Krakow’s public squares to gallery spaces, translated into a restrained palette that later became a framework for memory and re-creation.

Initially conceived for workshops and later adapted into zines, the diary evolved into a personal archive of exploration. Its folded structure recalls blue-tiled stovetops seen in museums, subtly blurring the boundary between everyday life and artistic practice, and positioning the act of observation itself as the core of the work.

Institution supported by the Culture Service of the Polish Institution in Beijing 

A cover story campaign by The New York Times titled Love City captured different lovers in the streets, sharing their love stories through scenes. This inspired me to create an illustration of various couples embracing, with a heart-shaped core.

To me, love reflects the imperfect, complex nature of being young and human—our relationships are messy yet miraculous. I wanted to show that love, as a universal bond, ties together these intricate connections between people, offering a symbol that everyone can easily understand.

While observing couples kissing, I noticed that the shape formed by their necks resembled a heart. This led me to create an illustration with positive and negative space. Each pair of lovers is unique, much like individuals in real life. However, in their kiss, they all share the same essence—love.

The series continues to evolve annually, with each year introducing a new colour palette to reinterpret the composition, allowing the same visual structure to generate renewed emotional resonance over time.

Limited Print Edition by Risograph

In Wang Xiaobo's novel The Golden Age, the protagonist uses physical intimacy as a way of withdrawing the self from its environment without banning himself from remembering some small but beautiful instincts. So I decided to celebrate hugging in the present moment.

Moment for Hug is a personal project after the epidemic. 1 chose to paint the image of a hug with bright blocks of color and clean lines, flattening the visual sensation to reduce the emotion and make the expression rational and transparent. I hope this will awaken associative memories in the mind of the moment of the hug, such as a smell, an object, or an unforgettable moment, rather than just an action.

Digital Print Poster and Handmade Booklet

In Yulong’s watercolor floral and ceramic works, he was deeply influenced by Robert Mapplethorpe’s floral photography. Mapplethorpe’s unique ability to capture the form and detail of flowers, especially in his high-contrast black-and-white images, highlights the delicate lines and contours of the flowers while conveying a sense of mystery and solemnity. Inspired by this style, he sought to achieve a similar precision in his own work, particularly through delicate handling of light, shadow, and texture. 

His aim is to explore the fragility and enduring beauty of flowers, creating a balance between simplicity and depth that resonates with Mapplethorpe’s powerful and intricate visual language.

Pottery work collection by Yulong Lli

Some selection of Yulong’s silkscreen print works

In this series, Yulong further expands the theme of personal connection. While each character continues to share the recurring visual motif of heart-shaped negative space formed around the neck, he introduces distinct narrative scenarios to explore the shifting boundaries of intimacy.

This inquiry moves beyond human relationships, extending to the complex bonds between humans and nature, animals, the environment, and even more abstract connections with ideas such as the future. Similar themes have been explored in works like The Painted Veil by W. Somerset Maugham, the film Her, and the short film by Zheng Bo, each examining emotional connections that challenge conventional boundaries.

Limited Print Edition by Risograph

Inspired by David Hockney, Yulong began creating artworks featuring dogs. Hockney’s exploration of the bond between humans and dogs, capturing their intelligence, humor, and emotions, deeply resonated with Yulong.

His dogs are loving, playful, and often bored, providing him with constant companionship and inspiration. Whether resting or engaging in playful antics, they bring warmth and joy to his creativeprocess.

Through these artworks, Yulong aims to capture the silent connection he shares with his dogs, reflecting their personalities and the simple beauty of their everyday moments.