We delve into the artistic vision of Changpeng Li, a London-based painter whose work critically examines the impact of rapid media consumption on our perception of imagery. Exhibited by TRA Collective, a contemporary art collective known for supporting emerging artists with innovative practices, Li’s paintings offer a contemplative antidote to the relentless flow of images in today’s digital age. We explore how his Chinese upbringing and education at the Royal College of Art have shaped his unique approach, as well as his insights for aspiring artists navigating the intersection of traditional art and modern media.

CNTRFLD. Can you tell us about your upbringing in China and how it has influenced your approach to art, particularly in relation to your exploration of media imagery and its effects?

CL. In East Asian culture, expression tends to be subtle and indirect. Growing up in such an educational system presents a unique challenge—reading comprehension. In exams, we’re asked to interpret the limited and often obscure language of texts or poems, trying to grasp the writer’s innermost thoughts. This process subtly trains every child from a young age to become adept at detecting and developing metaphors. Even now, it shapes the way I view things; whenever I encounter anything on the surface, I instinctively search for deeper meanings, whether they exist or not.

CNTRFLD. Your work often contrasts the speed of media consumption with the slower process of painting. How did this idea first come to you, and how has it evolved throughout your career?

CL. It stems from a long time spent immersed in endless scrolling, enjoying the pure and straightforward dopamine or anxiety injections delivered by algorithms. We are constantly asked to inform the internet of our needs, desires, and preferences, while documenting our lives in images and texts on social media. But after putting down my phone, I started to regret the time I wasted and began reflecting on this conditioned way of seeing and the underlying structures that shape it. What is driving this transformation?

CNTRFLD. In what ways do you think your experience studying at the Royal College of Art has shaped your artistic practice and your approach to depicting media images?

CL. “Habits are the biggest enemy of an artist.” This was something my tutor once told me, and it sparked my curiosity to explore new methods and push the boundaries of my research. Eventually, I discovered my own artistic voice—though it wasn’t until three months after I’d already graduated.

The short, intensive program felt more like an artist residency than a traditional course of study. However, I was fortunate to meet many passionate artists and form lasting friendships. You can’t expect to accomplish everything within the walls of an institution; life experience is far more valuable than a diploma. In the end, learning is a lifelong journey.

CNTRFLD. Your paintings reframe media images as if they were negatives developed in a darkroom, and feature a distinct purple hue. Can you explain the significance of this colour in your work?

CL. To be more precise, the purple hue is mauve, which was used by the Impressionists to depict shadows, complementing the warm tones of light. This marked a major shift in art history—moving from focusing on the subject to emphasising the relationships between colours. To me, mauve represents relationships—the interplay between colours, between people, and between my creative process and my daily life. This shade enshrouds me and my work in a midnight room, distancing from the scorching reality of daytime. It also reflects the chronic insomnia I’ve suffered in this overwhelming age of imagery.

CNTRFLD. You mention that your paintings create a deliberate distance between the viewer and the depicted scenes. How do you hope this distance affects the viewer’s engagement with the work?

CL. The distance comes from the absence of human figures in my paintings. To me, human figures are too dominant—whether it’s their expressions, movements, clothing, or skin colour. I deliberately avoid putting such obvious signals directly into the painting. I want my works to be like a cinematic empty shot, freezing the momentum right before a climax, inviting viewers to use their imagination to complete the narrative in their own way. Plus, there’s always a person standing in front of the painting—if there were people inside my paintings as well, it would feel too crowded.

CNTRFLD. How do you select the images you work with, and what criteria do you use to determine their suitability for your paintings?

CL. An image exists to convey content, and any image that invites deeper thought can become material for my work. In a way, this question is really about the nuance between “looking” and “reading.” Looking is about feeling; reading requires understanding. For instance, we could look at Monet for two hours and simply enjoy the visual experience, but reading Deleuze for two hours would leave us mentally exhausted, constantly trying to understand what exactly he wants to say.

In painting, when we interpret something from a work, we’re really “reading” it, not just “looking.” Today, reading a painting has become an essential part of engaging with art. In my view, a great painting should offer both the immediate pleasure of looking and the deeper engagement of reading.

CNTRFLD. How do you integrate aspects of your Chinese heritage with your experiences in London into your work? Are there particular cultural influences that significantly impact your art?

CL. As a child, I studied traditional Chinese ink painting, and I was particularly drawn to the leaving of blank spaces and the freehand brushworks that say just enough—light and poetic. Later, I found a similar connection in the work of some Belgian artists, like Francis Alÿs. Although most of his work involves performance and video, it was the first time I found that sense of lightness and poetry I loved from my early years in contemporary art. From that point on, I knew I wanted my own art to carry that same lightness and poetry.

CNTRFLD. Given the rapid changes in media and technology, how do you foresee the role of painting evolving in contemporary art?

CL. You know, when we use AI, the first step is inputting a prompt, which is language, limited language. And when we use language, one person’s thoughts can never fully align with another’s, let alone when we’re communicating with a machine. Even the smallest difference can ripple through the entire language system like waves in water. So, all understanding is, in some way, also a misunderstanding. The harmony between thought and feeling always contains a degree of discord. This gets to the core of the divide between rational language and intuitive consciousness.

Contemporary painting is guided by intuitive consciousness. Artists build meaning in their minds and give it form on the canvas. I don’t see painting as a static, traditional art form. If we look at art history, we distinguish traditional, modern, and contemporary painting. In every era, painting has always been at the cutting edge. Even today, artists like Gerhard Richter and Luc Tuymans show us how painting remains vibrant in this age dominated by images. You can still sense the “aura” Walter Benjamin described when standing in front of a painting.

CNTRFLD. What advice would you give to young artists who are interested in exploring the intersection of traditional art forms and modern media? How can they navigate the challenges of staying relevant in an image-saturated world?

CL. Perhaps try to watch Love Death + Robots.

About Chenpeng Li

Changpeng Li’s works reflect on how the image-centric era has transformed our way of seeing, presenting the various changes brought about by flattened viewing. He invites the audience to recall those overlooked moments, evoking a sense of alienation. Through paintings, he depicts media images as a form of camera film, revealing their underlying discursive structures.

Changpeng Li (b.1998) lives and works in London, UK. He graduated with an MA in Painting from the Royal College of Art (2023). His work has been featured in group exhibitions by galleries and curatorial projects including Cub_ism_ Artspace, Shanghai, China (2024); Duran Mashaal Gallery, Montreal, Canada (2024); Studio West Gallery, London, UK (2024); Southwark Park Galleries, London, UK (2023); Fitzrovia Gallery, London, UK (2023).

About TRA collective

TRA Collective is a curatorial collective co-founded by Lanzehang (Lan) Ying and Haijia Blair Luo in 2023, both of whom are independent curators currently based in London. The prefix “TRA” signifies moving beyond and existing in between, capturing the essence of crossing boundaries and borders, and exploring the liminal spaces where new possibilities and perspectives can emerge. Their recent exhibitions include: ‘Always container, sometimes contained,’ Greatorex Street, London (2024); ‘Linger in Silence,’ Willesden Gallery, London (2023); ‘Night Boat,’ Fitzrovia Gallery, London (2023); ‘Invisible Recursion,’ M P Birla Millennium Art Gallery, London (2023). 

CREDITS:

All Artwork © Changpeng Li