Beili Liu ' "The Elements Suite"

From Left to Right, Top to Bottom: “Air”, “Earth”, “Water”, “Fire”

Beili Liu investigates the subtle connections between elemental processes and the material objects of daily life. Her practice often invites viewers to pause and consider the invisible forces that shape our existence. In her THE ELEMENTS suite of lithographs, Liu turns to fire, water, air, and earth, distilling their properties into paper and ink through processes that are at once physical and poetic.

Each print in the series is grounded in a technique that directly engages its respective element. Fire was made by drawing into the lithographic stone with a blowtorch, leaving trails of flame-like forms across the surface. In Water, a delicate wash ripples across the sky, echoing fluid motion. Air carries a continuous line seared into the stone by flame, suggesting both movement and breath.

For Earth, Liu spritzed water across a torch- marked surface, coaxing out organic textures reminiscent of soil and stone. Across the suite,

a hand-burned chine-collé layer deepens each composition, embedding elemental presence into the very fibers of the paper.

The Elemental series exemplifies Liu’s enduring interest in transformation and the balance between fragility and resilience. By harnessing fire, water, air, and earth as both subject and tool, she allows each material to guide the image, collapsing boundaries between process and meaning. What emerges are prints that seem to breathe with the forces they embody— quiet yet forceful reminders of our entanglement with the natural world.

The Elements Suite will be released for collection on October 7th. Watch to save the date for an exclusive presentation by Beili Liu and Flatbed’s Master Printer Joshua Orsburn at Flatbed. Each image measures 15 x 18 inches and is printed onto sheets measuring 22 1/2 x 25 1/2 inches.

Liu has exhibited extensively across the globe, with solo and group exhibitions spanning Europe, Asia, and the United States. Her work is held in major institutions including the Crow Museum of Asian Art, the National Museum for Women in the Arts, and the Elisabeth de Brabant Art Center, among many others