Chinese Calligraphy as Self Expression with Li Huai

Week of January 17, 2026

Chinese Calligraphyt Workshops
During the workshop we will treat Chinese calligraphy as a form of art and a platform for self-expression.  Participants will learn how to use brushes and ink.  Chinese calligraphy has a long history of functioning as daily acts of meditation and physical discipline.  In this workshop we will focus primarily on body and mind interactions and make use of surprising non-traditional media (including organic forms such as rocks, leaves, and fruit).  During the workshop process participants will learn how to make use of Chinese calligraphy to produce tangible and delightful visual works that convey powerful and innovative forms of self-expression.

Li Huai received her BA in fine arts at the Beijing Film Academy and her MFA in art at the California Institute of the Arts. She is on the faculty of the Visual Arts Department at the University of California, San Diego. Li Huai’s specialties include installation, painting, drawing, multimedia, and Chinese calligraphy. In thematic terms, her work deals with various issues related to East-West cultural interaction in an increasingly transnational age, including issues involving the Asian diaspora. Her major one person shows include Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions, San Diego Museum of Art, San Diego Chinese Historical Museum, The Arts House (Singapore), The Substation Gallery (Singapore), Carroll Gallery (Tulane University), Hong Kong City University Gallery, Edinburgh University Matthew Architecture Gallery, Galleria Ninapi (Ravenna, Italy), Primo Piano Gallery (Rimini, Italy), Art Center (National Chung Hsing University, Taiwan), Forum (Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, France), California Center for the Arts, Faculty Club (University California San Diego), National Taiwan University (Riran Hall, Taipei), and Schwarzman College (Tsinghua University, Beijing). Her work has been shown in group exhibitions in various national and international venues including the San Diego Museum of Contemporary Art, Morlan Gallery (Transylvania University), the Tijuana Cultural Museum (Mexico), the Centre Internationale d’Art Contemporain (Montreal), the Third Chengdu Biennale (Museum of Contemporary Art, Chengdu, China), the Chinese American Museum (Los Angeles), Biennale Disegno (Rimini, Italy), Institute of Contemporary Art (San Diego), California Center for the Arts, and in various contemporary art spaces in South Africa, Japan, and Italy.