YUELIN LI
INFO
I paint what is closest to my heart, beginning with small, intimate moments of everyday life: freshly painted nails, the act of trimming body hair, or a pear cut in half. Working primarily in oil, I depict bodies and objects in domestic spaces, finding tenderness, longing, and sadness in what might otherwise seem ordinary.Through close framing and attention to skin, fabric, and small gestures, I give these details room to be felt. The desire to be close to another person runs through my work. My paintings are often quiet, but the feelings within them are not always peaceful. I paint what is closest to my heart, beginning with small, intimate moments of everyday life: freshly painted nails, the act of trimming body hair, or a pear cut in half. Working primarily in oil, I depict bodies and objects in domestic spaces, finding tenderness, longing, and sadness in what might otherwise seem ordinary.Through close framing and attention to skin, fabric, and small gestures, I give these details room to be felt. The desire to be close to another person runs through my work. My paintings are often quiet, but the feelings within them are not always peaceful. I paint what is closest to my heart, beginning with small, intimate moments of everyday life: freshly painted nails, the act of trimming body hair, or a pear cut in half. Working primarily in oil, I depict bodies and objects in domestic spaces, finding tenderness, longing, and sadness in what might otherwise seem ordinary.Through close framing and attention to skin, fabric, and small gestures, I give these details room to be felt. The desire to be close to another person runs through my work. My paintings are often quiet, but the feelings within them are not always peaceful. I paint what is closest to my heart, beginning with small, intimate moments of everyday life: freshly painted nails, the act of trimming body hair, or a pear cut in half. Working primarily in oil, I depict bodies and objects in domestic spaces, finding tenderness, longing, and sadness in what might otherwise seem ordinary.Through close framing and attention to skin, fabric, and small gestures, I give these details room to be felt. The desire to be close to another person runs through my work. My paintings are often quiet, but the feelings within them are not always peaceful.
© 2025 Yuelin.

a sad one, or two

10/16/2026
Oil on linen, pear seeds
8 × 26 in
20.3 × 66 cm

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