ART
MUSICIAN
YITING LIU
Liu’s work bridges traditional Chinese culture and contemporary art, drawing inspiration from pre-Qin literature and philosophy. Her paintings reinterpret historical narratives, translating abstract concepts into visual language to foster a deeper connection between viewers and history. Influenced by the Guqin’s tonalities—Universe, Earth, and Humanity—her synesthetic approach merges music and painting, blending tradition with modernity.
Artist Statement
Yiting Liu is a multidisciplinary artist based in New York, with a dual background in oil painting and Guqin music performance. She holds a Master of Arts from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco and a Master of Fine Arts from the New York Academy of Art. In 2024, she furthered her studies in the art business at Sotheby’s Institute of Art. Liu’s work bridges traditional Chinese culture and contemporary artistic practices, drawing profound inspiration from pre-Qin literature and Chinese philosophies.
Rooted in the literary and aesthetic traditions of the pre-Qin era, Liu’s artwork captures the distinctive temporality and spatiality of early Chinese literature. Her work often adopts a narrative approach, reinterpreting stories and themes from this period through a contemporary visual lens. By translating abstract concepts into a visual language, Liu seeks to build a bridge between viewers and history, fostering a deeper and more immediate understanding of traditional Chinese culture through non-verbal expression.
In her painting practice, Liu explores the harmonious relationship between humanity and the cosmos. The three tonalities of the Guqin—Universe, Earth, and Humanity—profoundly influence her creative process. Her synesthetic responses to music guide each brushstroke, offering a unique perspective that blends tradition with modernity. Growing up in a music boarding school, Liu developed heightened sensory connections, where her visual and auditory perceptions intertwined through synesthesia. Music profoundly influenced her transition to painting, shaping her unique artistic language that balances abstraction and figuration, expressing deep emotional resonance.
Academy of Art University, San Francisco, Oil Painting
2021 MFA
New York Academy of Art, Oil Painting
2024 MA(Studied)
Sotheby’s Institute of Art, Art Business Program
Solo Shows
Group Shows
2025
Dual Exihibition, Relations and Being, ArtsWestchester, White Plains, New York
Dual Exihibition, Relations and Being, ArtsWestchester, White Plains, New York
2025
Group Show, In The Mood for Love, VillageOneArt Gallery, New York
Dual Exihibition, Relations and Being, ArtsWestchester, White Plains, New York
Group Show, Mirrors and Masks International Online Juried Exhibition, Asian Art Contemporary, New York
Group Show, On the Critical Point: Wanderlust and Nostalgia in the New Age, Asian Art Contemporary, New York
2024
Group Show, Evolving Identities, Sotheby’s Institute of Art, New York
2023
Group Show, Omega To Alpha, Sojourner Gallery, New York
Group Show, Vantage Point Exhibition, Sojourner Gallery, New York
Group Show, Metamorphosis, The Living Gallery, New York
Group Show, 2023 MFA Thesis Exhibition, New York Academy of Art, New York
Group Show, Tribeca Ball 2023, New York Academy of Art, New York
2022
Group Show, Tribeca Ball 2022, New York Academy of Art, New York
2025
The COA Annual Artist Award
2023
MFA Academy Scholar Award
2022
MFA Academy Scholar Award
2021
Academy Award for Advertising Festival of Chinese Colleges Egestas
2013
Yiting Liu: Bridging Tradition and Contemporary Art
USA Art News
2025
Mirrors and Masks International Online Juried Exhibition
Asian Art Contemporary
2025
Interview | New York-based Artist Yiting Liu
Asian Art Contemporary
2025
GROUP EXHIBITION: OMEGA TO ALPHA
Sojourner Gallery,
New York
August 4, 2023
'Vantage Point' a Starting Point of a Rising Generation of Asian Artists,
Accesswire,
New York
June 13, 2023
USA Art News
2025
Mirrors and Masks International Online Juried Exhibition
Asian Art Contemporary
2025
Interview | New York-based Artist Yiting Liu
Asian Art Contemporary
2025
GROUP EXHIBITION: OMEGA TO ALPHA
Sojourner Gallery,
New York
August 4, 2023
'Vantage Point' a Starting Point of a Rising Generation of Asian Artists,
Accesswire,
New York
June 13, 2023
Musician CV
Melody of Dragon - Liu Yi-Ting
Performance and Activities
China: Design and Decorative Arts Workshop, New York School of Interior Design, 2025
History of Ancient Chinese Literature, Columbia University, NY, 2024-2025
Sing for Hope invited artist performance, Penn Station, NY 2025
National Immigrant Heritage Month Celebration Concert, Queens Public Library, NY 2024
The School at Columbia University, NY, 2024
Chinese New Year Concert, Interchurch Center, New York, 2024
Teaching and Workshops
Monthly Guqin Workshop Series with 7’s Art, 2023–present
SPRING 春
2023
72 x 48 in （horizontal/vertical）
Mixmedia, Watercolor, Acrylic on Canvas
Spring signifies a pivotal milestone in the Liu's creative journey. This piece, enriched by her profound connection with Chinese literature and music, marked Liu's evolution in the language of painting and creative expression. Her subsequent works masterfully blend personal and collective expression, aligning Eastern philosophy with personal experiences. Just like the dormant potential in withered wood awaiting spring, Liu's art embodies an inherent vitality and acceptance of the cyclical nature of life. The symbolic use of "wood" for decay and "spring" for time underscores the natural rhythm of existence in her work.
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Group Show, Omega To Alpha, Sojourner Gallery, New York
2025
48 x 48 in
Mixmedia, Oil on Canvas
No Title
2025
30 x 30 in
Mixmedia, Oil on Canvas
Yiting often works intuitively and experimentally on multiple paintings at once, using smaller works as a space for spontaneous exploration and visual inquiry. This piece is one of the companion studies created alongside her painting on the theme of love, capturing a moment of emotional reflection in the process.
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Universe，Earth，Humanity （Oil Sketch）
2025
30 x 30 inches
Oil and Mix Media On Canvas
This is the third iteration of Heaven, Earth, humanity since the original was completed in 2023. Over two years, the artist revisited the work three times, using varied techniques to explore a singular concept. This process deepened the integration of practice and philosophy, leaving a lasting impact on subsequent works.
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Heaven, Earth, Man 天地人
2023
48*48 in
Watercolor, Arcrylic, Oil on canvas
The work is an exploring of human expierence based on the Chinese philosophy of the harmony unify between nature and human. The idea of three elements is come from the ancient chinese instrument Guqin.
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Heaven, Earth, Humanity
2024
48*48 in
Oil on canvas
The work i s a remade of the one sold in 2023. The
work is an exploring of human expierence based on the Chinese philosophy of the harmony unify between nature and human. The idea of three elements is come from the ancient chinese instrument Guqin
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The Inner Oder
2025
40 x 30
Oil，Mixmedia on canvas
This painting emerged after a long period of introspective exploration. It reflects the formation of inner order—only when one’s inner structure is in place can life truly find its direction and begin its journey. The shifting moon phases and the grounded presence of the stone symbolize the passage of time, the fluidity of space, and the enduring nature of existence.
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Tian Wen Charcoal IV -40 x 30-Charcoal on paper-2025
Tian Wen Charcoal II -30 x 22 in-Charcoal on paper-2023