Li Ling’s ink drawings carry a haunting sense of naivety; with every piece a reflection of the artist in the most literal sense. All the materials she uses are manufactured in the city of Chenzhou, Hunan province, where she has lived her entire life.

In person, Li possesses the qualities of an Oriental porcelain doll; a sense of feminine delicacy present throughout her work. Her subject matter offers an inherent sense of introspection, from her series High Heels, a repeated pattern that depicts her own shoes, to Me and Teddy, where a self portrait emerges from a sea of teddies.

Visually, the works are subdued, lacking any real sense of artistic ideal. Indeed, on first glance they leave the viewer feeling unchallenged, with the monochrome monotony not backed up by the necessary content to make the drawings visually impressive. But they are worth another look. The Black Square series, for instance, depicts a multi-limbed faceless goddess partially erased by a solid black cube. The anonymity of the figure and looming darkness seem to have a feminist motivation, and speak in real terms of female repression.

The most visually interesting pieces, Tanks 1 and Tanks 2, offer an unusual fracture in the exhibition narrative. Various glimpses of military artillery overlap and intertwine, creating a discourse on violence and chaos that seems to stands in harsh contrast to the rest of her work. Though when asked about the motivation behind Tanks, Li softly whispers that tanks are manufactured in Chenzhou and have always been part of her life. Of course they have.

Mary Agnew

Art Beatus Until August 27