THIS BLUE
solo exhibition by Lilou Li Xia
18.06.24 - 19.07.24
ABOUT THE EXHIBITION
Small fragments of everyday life and fleeting instants that we often overlook are at the core of the conceptual interests of artist Lilou Li Xia, whose work focuses on the detail and emotion of the present experience. The images, arising from her imagination or from distant memories, are articulated on the basis of pure colors and simple lines that manage to convey a stark contrast between the apparent tranquility and the intense emotion of the captured moment.
Focusing on capturing the human essence by portraying changing emotions in a seemingly unchanging world, Lilou turns the spotlight on the subtle changes that occur through a shy blink of an eye, a lock of hair delicately placed, a light cautiously turned on.... The imperceptible emotional movements that occur in her works uncover the hidden humor of their creator, who often uses the diptych format to insist on these sentimental mutations that take place from one second to the next and that intensely transmit the tension and melancholy of the human experience.
The peaceful environments created by Lilou are structured in close-ups and contrasting light effects and transmit an apparent tranquility that reveals, however, a complex network of closely connected emotions manifested with a discreet intensity that grants to each work a dose of tension and melancholy.
In her compositions, Lilou immortalizes fragments of memory and urges the viewer to immerse himself in a world where light and shadow, noise and silence, the warmth of the light bulb, or the softness and strength of a glance reveal the magic of the ephemeral and the depth of the everyday.
Light is a constant element in her work and captures the essence of the interior spaces and their protagonists, creating a confusing atmosphere of anxious calm. Lilou Li Xia turns small moments of everyday life into powerful expressions of emotion and meaning. Her ability to capture the delicacy of the gesture reveals an emotional depth that transcends the apparent and highlights the weight of the ephemeral.
Text by Manuela Medina
ABOUT LILOU LI XIA (CHI, 1991)
Lilou Li Xia, also known as Lilou Oh Yeah, born in 1991 in Chongqing (China), lives and works in Rouen (France). She works mainly in oil and watercolor, as well as mixed media sculptures.
Her work explores the ephemeral moments and banal objects of everyday life, expressed through carefully composed planes of colors and simplified lines. The artist creates figurative and imaginary spaces inspired by everyday life or fleeting moments.
By cinematographically framing these details, her work invites the viewer to delve into vignettes that capture the tension of overlooked everyday moments. Precise and sensual, these meticulously constructed scenes are infused with tranquility and surreal humor. Although her narrative has no defined plot, Lilou's work suggests that something has just happened. Her works do not merely record events, but capture feelings and emotions that lie deep within our consciousness.
