Li was born and raised in Beijing, China in 1998, during when the single child policy was in place. In Empty Nest, Li recounts her relationship with her parents, and the lesser discussed insecurities in family life. She moved to London in 2017 and now lives and works between the two cities. Li recalls the conflicting experience of unlearning and educating herself on the atrocities happened within the recent decades in China, after her migration to the UK. During this period she began to take an interest in photography and enrolled in the MA Documentary Photography degree at London College of Communication, from which she graduated in 2021. Since then, her work has focused on how personal experiences situates within the larger social and political structures, exploring the notion of identity and belonging, and the complex relationship between land, history and culture.
Apart from her personal practice, Li splits her time as a freelance photographer and photo editor. Her editorial clients include FT Weekend, The Atlantic, British Journal of Photography, PORT etc. She is currently photo editor at Bloomberg News and assistant photo editor at Granta.
Email: siqilea98@gmail.com
Instagram @siqi_lea
Talks & Panels
2024 - Guest lecturer, London College of Communication
2023 - Guest lecturer, UWE, Bristol
2023 - Selection pannel, International Photography Exhibition 165, Royal Photographic Society, Bristol.
2023 - Artist talk, International Photography Exhibition 164, Royal Photographic Society, Bristol.
2022 - WIP portfolio reviewer, London College of Communication
Exhibitions
2023 - Verzasca Foto Festival Award 2023, Sonogno, Switzerland.
2023 - International Photography Exhibition 164, Royal Photographic Society, Bristol.
2022 - PALM Photo Prize Exhibition, 1014 Gallery, London.
2021 - Common Ground, Postgraduate Degree Show, London College of Communication
Awards
2023 - Verzasca Foto Festival Awards 2023 (silver medal)
2022 - Winner of Under 30s Award, International Photography Exhibition 164, Royal Photographic Society
2022 - Palm* Photo Prize (shortlist)
2021- Aesthetica Next Generation Award (shortlist)