Acclaimed Chinese artist Li Jianxun has chosen the Sayle Gallery to exhibit his latest work.

Li Jianxun is a member of the Chinese Artists Association and has had six solo and 34 joint exhibitions in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and the USA. His artwork has been collected by seven museums, including the China National Art Museum.

He has been awarded many prizes in China for his watercolour and oil painting artworks, including the third prize/Bronze at the 10th China National Art Exhibition.

He is a graduate with a Masters Degree from Sichuan Academy of Fine Arts and is an art lecturer in the Art Institute of Sichuan Normal University.

Li said: ’There are many ways that artists can choose to express themselves, but in my work, the focus of each piece is with rediscovery, the memory of my emotions. Each of my artworks is a recording of a specific experience from my life, using symbolism. ’However, the meaning of my work doesn’t reside with any individual symbol, instead the meaning of the work emerges from the mixing of symbols over the course of a series, however, it’s up to each of us to interpret this.

’Even though simplicity, and Oriental style and tone, may have entered as a theme of my works, these are not ideas which I specifically set out to explore. Instead, this has crystallised in the course of my self-exploration, something that almost came from my birth, a non-stop journey reaching back till the inner peace. In doing so, a strong personal attraction to simplicity and harmony has emerged. For example, I have tried to convey the spirit of my art using textures like burning and torn paper.

’My recent paintings appear simple, but reflect significant moments of my artistic development. Looking back through this, more than ever, I feel as if I am seeing my true self.’

The exhibition will run from Saturday to August 26.