J. Jie Li

J. Jie Li is a New York-based contemporary fine artist whose layered watercolor and mixed-media compositions explore the spiritual landscapes of human existence—desire, loss, resilience, and the search for inner peace. After earning her BFA from Parsons School of Design, she transitioned from a successful career in fashion to fully embrace a fine art practice shaped by Zen Buddhism, Daoism, and the philosophical teachings of Arthur Schopenhauer. Stripping away ornamentation, her work transforms watercolor into a structural, high-gravity medium characterized by earthy washes and expressive calligraphic brushstrokes.

Li’s paintings have been exhibited internationally at prestigious venues, including the Royal Academy of Arts and Mall Galleries in London, as well as the Alexandria Museum of Art, Ormond Memorial Art Museum, and Springfield Art Museum in the United States. A Board and Signature Member of the Watercolor USA Honor Society, she has received top awards globally, including the 2024 Kenneth M. Shuck Memorial Cash Award and the 2025 Alfa Award. Her work is held in prominent public and private collections worldwide.

You can find more about her work at https://jjieli.com.

Artist Statement

“My art is a visual and philosophical inquiry into the thresholds between desire and loss, turbulence and stillness. Rooted in Zen Buddhism, Daoism, and Schopenhauer’s meditations, my work strips away the superficial to confront essential psychological and spiritual realities.

I deliberately redefine watercolor’s boundaries, treating the fluid medium as a language of structure, weight, and gravity. By layering dense washes, executing sharp calligraphic strokes, and introducing mixed media, I build tactile surfaces where light emerges from darkness. This honors traditional calligraphy—treating marks as physical fragments of memory, thought, and silence.

These paintings function as contemplative sanctuaries exploring what endures when the superficial is stripped away. Through earth tones, fragmented geometry, and the interplay of void and form, I invite viewers into visual meditations where vulnerability transforms into resilience.”

New Brunswick Art Salon 2026 – Watercolor and Mixed Media “Liquid Layers” Exhibition

New Brunswick Art Salon 2025 – Watercolor and Mixed Media “Between Stillness and Surge” Exhibition

Education

Parsons School of Design – New York, USA; Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA)

Solo & Two-Artist Exhibitions

• 2025 — Whispers Through the Veil: Reflections on the Inner Horizon, Museo de la Semana Santa de Hellin, Spain
• 2024 — The Appearance, La Casa Negra & Bienal Internacional de Caudete, Spain
• 2024 — Behind the Appearance, La Asunción Cultural Center, Albacete, Spain
• 2023 — Behind the Appearance, Asociacion De Artistas Cadmio, Spain
• 2023 — Behind the Appearance, Casa de Cultura de Caudete, Spain
• 2022 — Behind the Appearance, Centro Cultura Gomez Tortosa, Spain
• 2020 — Ignited (Two-Artist Exhibition), Ormond Memorial Art Museum, Florida, USA

Group Exhibitions

Institutional & Museum Exhibitions (Global)

2020 — Ignited (Two-Artist Exhibition), Ormond Memorial Art Museum, Florida, USA

• Royal Academy of Arts, London, UK — Summer Exhibition (2022 exhibited, 2019 & 2024 shortlisted)
• Springfield Art Museum / Spiva Arts Center, USA — Watercolor USA (2018, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025)
• San Diego Museum of Art Artists Guild, USA — International Juried Exhibition (2022, 2024, 2025)
• Yellowstone Art Museum, USA — Annual Art Auction & Exhibition (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024)
• Marietta Cobb Museum of Art, USA — Metro Montage (2020, 2021, 2022, 2024)
• Mall Galleries, London, UK — Society of Women Artists / New English Art Club (2019, 2020)
• Wausau Museum of Contemporary Art, USA — Annual National Juried Exhibition (2020, 2021, 2022)
• WaterWorks Art Museum, USA — Annual Juried Exhibition (2022, 2023)
• Alexandria Museum of Art, USA —September Competition Exhibition (2019, 2021)
• Arkell Museum, USA — The Art of New York: Annual Juried Art Show (2021, 2022)
• Brownsville Museum of Fine Art, USA — 48th International Art Show (2023)
• Pedro Cano Foundation, Spain — LUZ Y SOMBRAS Exhibition (2023)
• Nicolaysen Art Museum, USA — 38th Annual NIC Art Auction (2023)
• Yellowstone Gateway Museum, USA — Celebrating Yellowstone National Exhibition (2023)

Gallery & Art Fair Exhibitions

• International Watercolour Masters, Lilleshall Hall, Shropshire, England (2026)
• Strasbourg Expo, France (2026)
• Galerie Le Chien d’Or, Quebec, Canada (2026)
• Anderson Arts Center, USA — Watercolor Now (2026)
• Downing Museum, USA — Watercolor Now (2024)
• Thomson Gallery, Zug, Switzerland (2023, 2025, 2026)
• Nicoleta Gallery, Berlin, Germany (2023, 2025)
• Alfa Art Gallery, USA — Between Stillness and Surge (2025)
• Art Expo New York, USA (2025)
• Andakulova Gallery, Dubai, UAE (2025)
• Cipriarte Venezia Gallery, Venice, Italy (2023)
• ArtExpo Basel, Switzerland (2023)
• Muestra de Arte Contemporáneo, Argemesi, Spain (2023)
• Art Basel Weeks, Miami, USA (2022)
• Swiss Art Expo, Zürich, Switzerland (2022)
• Biennale Artbox Expo, Venice, Italy (2022)

Residences & Invited Master Classes

• International Watercolour Masters “The World’s Elite Watercolour Masters Demonstration”, Lilleshall Hall, Shropshire, UK (2026)
• Master Class, Bienal Internacional de Caudete & La Casa Negra, Spain (2024)
• Live Watercolor Demonstration, La Asunción Cultural Center, Albacete, Spain (2024)
• Master Class Guest Artist, V International Biennale, Spain (2019)
• Sunny Art Prize Shanghai Exhibition & Residency, Sunny Art Centre, London, UK & Shanghai, China (2019)

Awards & Honors

• 2025 — 1st Place Winner, Alfa Awards, USA
• 2025 — Sondra and George Juetten Award, 38th Annual Northern National Art Competition, USA
• 2025 — Featured Artist, The Best Paintings 2024, Watercolor Artist Magazine, USA
• 2024 — Top Award, Watercolor USA (Kenneth M. Shuck Memorial $3,000 Cash Award)
• 2024 — Featured Collection Artist, Saatchi Art
• 2023 — Top 10 New York Artists to Discover, Artling, Singapore
• 2023 — First Place (Water Media), Brownsville Museum of Fine Art, USA
• 2023 — Museum Award, Watercolor USA (Greg G. Thielen Memorial $2,000 Cash Award)
• 2023 — 3rd Prize, 44th Annual Juried Exhibition, WaterWorks Art Museum, USA
• 2022 — Top 22 Artists to Watch, Singulart, Paris, France
• 2022 — Winner, ARTBOXY Artist Sponsorship, Thomson Art Prize, Switzerland
• 2021 — Best in Show, “Adrift” National Juried Exhibition, USA
• 2021 — First Place Winner, Lowe House Exhibition, USA
• 2021 — 3rd Prize, Salmagundi Club “Cityscapes” National Exhibition, USA
• 2020 — Winner of the Public Choice Art Prize, Uig Open 2020, UK
• 2020 — First & Second Place, Art of Innovation Contest, USA
• 2018 — HSBC Cares Nominee, USA
• 2018 — Honorable Mention, “Land and Sea” National Juried Exhibition, USA
• 2017 — Cheap Joe’s Art Award, 89th Grand National Exhibit, USA
• 2017 — Finalist, Olympia International Open Art Competition, Tokyo, Japan

Public and Private Collections

• Consulate General of Japan
• The Holy Week Museum, Hellín, Spain
• Albacete Provincial Council, Spain
• Held in selective private and public collections across China, France, Germany, Japan, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Professional Memberships

Watercolor USA Honor Society (WHS) – Board Member & Signature Member
American Artists Professional League (AAPL) – Signature Member

Contact

Website: https://jjieli.com