Crystal Liu Canadian, b. 1980

Crystal Liu transforms elements of nature – the night, stars, clouds, fleshy mountains, willow trees, blood, water, owls, octopuses, and flowers – into a lexicon of characters that enact extraordinary tales based on her private joys and sorrows.

Liu’s drawings can be likened to Chinese landscape painting, in which every stroke and image is layered with meaning. But she subverts the serenity of these traditional scenes with violent forces. Her choice of materials, including fabric, gold leaf, felt, and textured paper, provides a subtle balance between seduction, humor and the macabre.