Li Ran’s practice ranges across multiple media from installation, performance and writing, to video and painting, with utilization of archival photos, staged photography, vocal mimicry, and sound performance. In recent years, he has been researching into stage art, make-up design, and the production of translated foreign films, in the context of modern China. Simultaneously, he has curated a collection of case studies of the 1930s, featuring the work of satirical cartoonists, leftist and romantic authors in a complex social background. These endeavors connect with the diverse circumstances of those “humble intellectuals” in present-day art industry, and serve as a rich and personal response from the artist.
Li Ran was born in Hubei, China in 1986. He moved from Beijing to Shanghai in 2018. He graduated with a BFA from the Oil Painting Department from the Sichuan Fine Arts Institute in 2009. In 2015, Li held a solo exhibition at OCAT Contemporary Art Terminal (OCAT), Xi’an, China. His single-channel video work was screened at the Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA), London and The Jewish Museum, New York. He has exhibited in group shows at the Tai Kwun Contemporary, Hong Kong, China (2023); By Art Metters, Hangzhou, China(2023); Duoland Museum of Mondern Art, Shanghai, China (2023); Ullens Center for Contemporary Art (UCCA), Beijing and Shanghai, China (2023, 2017, 2013); Art Sonje Center, Seoul, Korea (2022); He Art Museum, Shunde, China (2022); Sifang Museum, Nanjing, China (2021); OCAT Contemporary Art Terminal, Shanghai, China (2021, 2019, 2014, 2013); Inside-Out Art Museum, Beijing, China (2020); HOW Museum, Shanghai, China (2019); Centre Pompidou, Paris, France (2017); Museum of Contemporary Art and Design (MCAD), Manila, Philippines (2016); OCAT Contemporary Art Terminal, Shenzhen, China (2016, 2013, 2012, 2011); NTU Center For Contemporary Art Singapore (CCA), Singapore (2015); Wattis Institute for Contemporary Arts, San Francisco, USA (2014); Haus der Kulturen der Welt (HKW), Berlin, Germany (2013); basis door actuele kunst (BAK), Utrecht, Netherlands (2013); Contemporary Arts Museum Houston (CAMH), Houston, USA (2012) and other venues. His works were featured in Montreal Biennale (2014); Biennale of Moving Images, Geneva (2014); 4th Moscow International Biennale for Young Art (2014); 2nd CAFAM Biennial, Beijing (2014), 4th ‘Former West’ Project, Berlin (2013), 9th Gwangju Biennial (2012), and 7th Shenzhen Sculpture Biennale (2012). Li was awarded the ‘Best Artist Award’ at the Moscow International Youth Art Biennial in 2014 and was nominated for the ‘Future Generation Award’ by the Pinchuk Arts Center in 2017.
李然的创作涉及影像、表演、绘画、装置、写作等多种媒介，近几年，他的开启了中国自1950年代以来对于话剧、舞台美术和化妆、译制片生产和制作、谍战电影中反面角色设置的考察之旅。艺术家常常通过照片文献收藏、角色场景摆拍、配音模仿独白进行影像写作，同时他也在绘画、声音、装置等创作里扩充着这种书写的更加复杂与个人化的时空。
1986年出生于中国湖北。他在2018年从北京迁居上海。他2009年本科毕业于四川美术学院油画系。李然在南京北丘当代美术馆（2025）；OCT当代艺术中心的西安馆（2015）举办过个展。他的单屏影像作品曾在香港M+美术馆、哥本哈根夏龙腾伯格艺术中心、纽约犹太美术馆、伦敦ICA当代艺术机构等机构，以及多个独立电影节和艺术节中进行放映。他的作品还曾在世界各地的艺术机构展出，包括上海纽约大学艺术中心，上海，中国（2025）；油罐艺术中心，上海，中国（2024）；星美术馆，上海，中国（2024）；虹美术馆，苏州，中国（2024）；X美术馆，北京，中国（2024）；多伦美术馆，上海，中国（2023）；大馆当代美术馆，香港，中国（2023）；天目里美术馆，杭州，中国（2023）；善哉艺术中心，首尔，韩国（2022）；和美术馆，佛山，中国（2022）；四方美术馆，南京，中国（2021, 2015）；OCT当代艺术中心（上海馆），上海，中国（2021, 2019, 2014, 2013）；中间美术馆，北京，中国（2020）；昊美术馆，上海，中国（2019）；尤伦斯当代艺术中心，北京与上海，中国（2023, 2017, 2013）；蓬皮杜中心，巴黎，法国（2017）；当代艺术与设计美术馆，马尼拉，菲律宾（2016）；OCT当代艺术中心（深圳馆），深圳，中国（2016, 2013, 2012, 2011）；新加坡NTU当代艺术中心（2015）；Wattis当代艺术中心，旧金山，美国（2014）；世界文化宫，柏林，德国（2013）； BAK艺术中心，乌德勒支，荷兰（2013）；休斯顿当代美术馆，休斯顿，美国（2012）等。他曾参加北京双年展（2022）、蒙特利尔双年展（2014）、日内瓦动态影像双年展（2014）、第四届莫斯科国际青年艺术双年展（2014）、第二届CAFAM双年展（2014）、第四次柏林“前西”项目（2013）、第九届光州双年展（2012），和第七届深圳雕塑双年展（2012）。他在2014年莫斯科国际青年艺术双年展中获得“最佳艺术家奖”，并入围2017年平丘克艺术中心的“未来世代奖”提名。