“These paintings are footprints of my travels to temples with Buddhist sculptures and murals. From childhood, I have seen and internalised many Buddhist images ... This is my expression of these impressions.

These Buddha paintings remind me that I have to give up something to create something new.”

— CHEN LI

Chen Li is a painter and woodblock printmaker whose work was hailed by The British Museum as an exceptional example of Modern Chinese art.

He draws much inspiration from the stunning landscapes of China’s remote Yunnan Province where he lives but he is equally inspired by the many wonders along the Old Silk Road whose vast series of ancient routes from the Mediterranean to China has long captured imaginations.

One place in particular - a vast network of caves housing a millennia of Buddhist murals near an ancient oasis town between two deserts - is the inspiration behind his unusual Human Buddha series of paintings.

On the edge of the Gobi dessert, the Mogao caves - or the Caves of One Thousand Buddhas - comprise over 500 cave temples carved into rock cliffs from the 4th to the 14th centuries. Over 1000 years the cave temples were decorated with extraordinary wall murals depicting scenes from religious scriptures, history, and mythology.

The murals are a time capsule of the mix of artistic styles and schools of Buddhism over a millennia of travellers who stopped by the once thriving oasis town of Dunhuang and visited the caves to give offerings and ask for blessings before undertaking the perilous journey through steep mountain passes and scorching desert.

One aspect of the Mogao murals that captures attention is the harmony and vibrancy of colours. You can see this influence in the rich colours and harmonious compositions of Chen Li’s Green Buddha and Seated Buddha, pictured above next to the Mogao cave Boddhisatva mural from the Yuan Dynasty. Chen Li’s work often explores the harmony of line and colour - much of it also influenced by his father Chen Yongle, a renown artist working in the “Yunnan School” style.

Dynamic movement is another captivating aspect of the Mogao murals and a source of inspiration to Chen Li who is known for his expressive marks - the dynamic lines emanating from his creations like sparks of energy, often rendering the gusts of wind, rays of sunshine, or wisps of clouds in his landscapes. In the Human Buddha series you can see the inspiration from the Mogao murals, such as the flying Apsara or nymph spirit shown above next to Chen Li’s Way to Etnerity Buddha and Dynamic Bhudda.

Notice the colourful spheres swirling around Chen Li’s Human Buddhas, creating movement and joy. The design is in part inspired by the Mogao murals’ depictions of fanciful headdress worn by nobility in Imperial China, such as the fine jade ensemble worn by King of Khotan’s daughter depicted in the 10th century Mogao mural shown above next to Chen Li’s Serene Buddha and Compassionate Love Buddha.

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For Chen Li’s bio, paintings, and woodblock prints click here