Hello there!

 

I'm An Li,  an artist, designer, and gardener living in downtown Toronto. I moved back here  from the Bay Area a couple years ago, during the dark days of Covid. I was living in the US for over a dozen years. In Oakland, I ran a creative business hand-printing clothing that I sold in shops across the country, at local events, and online. I found California to be a vibrant and nurturing place to have this type of maker life. I miss it so much! Given the abundance of clay soils, there is a long tradition of pottery and ceramics. Inevitably, I began to experiment with this myself. I also had the wondrous fortune of being surrounded by beautiful plant-life, and dynamic vistas of ocean, forest and hills. This type of nature has stuck with me.

 

Since moving back to Canada, I started a line of notecards and art prints since I no longer operate my screen-printing business. I have also begun to paint again with memories of verdant foliage and joyous shapes I’ve seen in some travels along the way. I am also finding inspiration in different types of writing — poetry and literary fiction. I am finding a creative rhythm once again after quite some time of adjustment. I have also been lucky to integrate the life of plants in my other work life as well — as an gardener with a special interest in edible and native gardens, and sustainable practices here in the city. We all need more harmony and beauty in our lives, and I seek this in my imagination and out there in real life too!

 

Thank you for your interest in my work, and please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or queries. My home page has a smattering of images of a few things I've worked on in recent times, as well as our beloved space in CA :).  I’ll be posting new projects and inspirations as spring slowly makes its way here, and I eagerly await its arrival.

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