Jessi Li

Lives and works in Brooklyn, NY, USA

Artist statement

Ursula K. LeGuin’s essay The Carrier Bag Theory of Fiction, describes the bag as the original object, “before the tool that forces energy outward, we made the tool that brings energy home….” LeGuin uses the bag as a metaphor for an all inclusive version of storytelling, an alternative to the hero/action arch. My sculptures hold multitudes, simultaneously referencing protuberances of limbs or concavities of mouths, as well as useful tools. I feel ownership over the surname Li despite my Jewish-American upbringing. In 2018, after learning of the death of my absent father from an estranged aunt, I went to China expecting to meet relatives for the first time. Instead of the guided familial experience I anticipated, my exploration was self-directed by a need to understand death through an unfamiliar cultural framework. At cemeteries and ancient funerary sites, I considered the rituals and objects “carried to death.” I reflected on the items I carried in my backpack. What is carried into uncharted territory? To an uncertain future? What choices are made out of necessity? What is carried out of fear? These sculptures comfort with soft bellies while sharp points ward off potential threats. My sculptures reimagine recognizable forms for an uncertain future; one where what is useful, superfluous, or beautiful in this world is not yet determined for the next.

Artwork