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1948
Born in Shanghai, China
1954
Began studying Chinese ink painting under Wang Jimei, son of Wang Yiting
1964
Began studying Western painting and drawing under Zhang Chongren, a graduate of the Belgium Royal Academy of Art
1969-1976
Specialised in propaganda art as a worker artist during the Cultural Revolution
1970
Visited a number of China's significant scenic, historic and cultural sites, including the celebrated peaks of Huangshan in Anhui Province
In Gansu Province, Li taught himself the early history of Chinese painting and achieved an understanding of religious painting through informal study of the Buddhist cave temples at Dunhuang
1982
Moved to San Francisco in United States
1984
Received his Master of Fine Arts Degree from Academy of Art, San Francisco
Held his first solo exhibition in America at the Pacific Asia Museum in Pasadena, USA, featuring a combination of Dunhuang-style paintings and Abstract Expressionist works, which received critical acclaim from the leading scholar of Chinese painting, Michael Sullivan
1993
Began creating Monumental Landscapes works
Created his signature style featuring grand mountain compositions that recall the monumental landscapes of the Northern Song dynasty
1996
Publication, Li Huayi Landscape Paintings (1993-95)
1997
Began creating Rock, Bamboo and Moonlight works
Solo Exhibition, "The Landscapes of Li Huayi" at Kaikodo, New York, United States
1999
Group Exhibition, "In Concert: Landscapes by Li Huayi and Zhang Hong" at Kaikodo, New York, United States
2000s
Made a number of pilgrimages to famous mountains in China including Huangshan Mountain in Anhui, Wuyishan in Fujian, Zhangjiajie in Hunan, and Huashan in Shanxi, as well as an exploration of Li Cheng's home territory in Shandong
2004
Solo Exhibition, "The Monumental Landscapes of Li Huayi" at the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, United States
2005
Became a disciple of Chen Pei Qiu, master of Chinese painting from Shanghai
2006
Made a pilgrimage to Mount Lu or Lushan in Jiangxi.
Began creating Multiple Screen Installation works
2007
First visited Xinjiang and Zhejiang Provinces
Solo Exhibition, "Mountain Landscapes by Li Huayi", Eskenazi Gallery, London, United Kingdom
2008
Solo Exhibition, "Li Huayi at 60: Paintings in the Yiqingzhai Collection" at The Ink Society, Hong Kong, China
Began creating Works of Gilded Screens
2009
Made a pilgrimage to Xinjiang, China
2010
Solo Exhibition, "Trees, Rocks, Mist and Mountains by Li Huayi", Eskenazi Gallery, New York Asia Week, New York, United States
Began creating his series "Exotica", in which he translated a newfound invisible energy he discovered in his travels that triggered a subconscious evolution within himself and resulted in a fresh outlook on the world
2011
Solo Exhibition, "Images of the Mind: The Ink Painting of Li Huayi", National Art Museum of China, Beijing, China
Solo Exhibition, "Beyond Representation: Li Huayi's New Art", Beijing Center for the Arts, Beijing, China
Solo Exhibition, "The Twelve Animals of the Zodiac by Li Huayi", Eskenazi Gallery, London, United Kingdom
2012
Group Exhibition,“Associated Exhibition of Contemporary Ink Painting by Li Huayi and Li Jin”, at Gallery 100, Taipei, Taiwan
2014
Solo Exhibition, "Waterfalls, Rocks and Bamboo by Li Huayi", at Eskenazi Gallery, London, United Kingdom
2015
Trip to hike East Tianmu Mountain, Huangshan Mountain, Qiyun Mountain, Jiuhua Mountain and Tianzhu Mountain in Anhui Province; to cross the Wulong natural karst bridges in Chongqing; and to explore the previously inaccessible areas of Shichuan, Hubei and Hunan, including the UNESCO World Heritage site of Wulingyuan
2016
Solo Exhibition, "Exotica: Recent Works of Li Huayi", Kwai Fung Hin Art Gallery, Hong Kong, China
2017
Solo Exhibition, "Fantasies on Paper and Enchantments in Gold", Suzhou Museum, Suzhou, China
Solo Exhibition, "Li Huayi", Kwai Fung Hin Art Gallery, Art Basel, Hong Kong, China
Solo Exhibition, "Landscapes in New Dimensions", Kwai Fung Hin Art Gallery, Hong Kong, China
2018
Publication, "Li Huayi: Landscapes from a Master’s Heart", Monograph, by Rizzoli International Publications Inc. and Kwai Fung Art Publishing House
Group Exhibition, "Ink World: Contemporary Chinese Painting from the Collection of Akiko Yamazaki and Jerry Yang", Cantor Arts Center, Stanford University, California, United States
2019
Solo Exhibition, "Contemporary Landscapes: Li Huayi", Honolulu Museum of Art, Hawaii, United States
Solo Exhibition, "Law of Nature, Tao of Man", Kwai Fung Hin Art Gallery, Hong Kong, China
2021
Solo Exhibition, "Infinities Between Ink and Gold – Recent Works of Li Huayi", organized by Kwai Fung Hin Art Gallery, F Hall Studio, Tai Kwun, Hong Kong, China