The Taste of Everyday Life

The Taste of Everyday Life by Yinghui Li explores the universal connection between food, the land and the people who transform agricultural products into the meals we share every day.

Born in Weifang, Shandong Province, China, in 2004, Yinghui Li graduated from Qufu Normal University in 2026 with a BA in Art and will continue her postgraduate studies at Shandong Normal University. She is also an artist at Seeing the Mountain Art Gallery in Rizhao, China. Specializing in gongbi, a meticulous Chinese brush-painting technique, her practice focuses on delicate brushwork and the detailed portrayal of texture, form and expression.

The four-panel Chinese painting brings together a diverse selection of grain-based foods, including noodles, glutinous rice balls, pastries, dumplings, zongzi (sticky rice dumplings), sesame flatbread, pizza, croissants, baguettes and waffles. Although these foods come from different culinary traditions, they share a common origin: crops cultivated from the land and transformed through human knowledge, creativity and care.

Li's work reflects on food as more than a source of nourishment. Through human hands, ordinary grains become dishes that carry the traditions, cultures and stories of communities, forming part of the diverse food heritage that has developed across cultures and generations. The painting uses soft, delicate imagery to capture the warmth of everyday meals and the quiet moments of connection that take place around the table.

By bringing together foods from different culinary traditions, The Taste of Everyday Life also highlights what people share across cultures. Despite differences in geography and cuisine, the appreciation of food and the desire for a nourishing and fulfilling life are universal.

Through this work, Li invites viewers to reflect on the journey from the land to the table and to appreciate the food, knowledge, creativity and human effort that come together in our everyday meals.