Artwork Description

Title: 3 Days
Artist: Li Xiaoqi (李晓琪)
Date: n.d.
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 39.4 x 47.2 in (100 x 120 cm)

1. Artwork Identification
In 3 Days, Li Xiaoqi conjures an emotionally resonant and symbol-laden scene where the central focus—a handwritten journal laid open—floats amidst an abstract, turbulent backdrop of swirling whites, icy blues, and black smudges. The composition includes a candlestick with melting wax and scattered ink stones, suggesting the intimate, solitary act of writing through time. Rendered in thick impasto and gestural brushwork, the painting combines elements of both narrative symbolism and expressive abstraction.

2. Artistic Style and Influences
This work continues Li Xiaoqi’s exploration of surrealism and psychological symbolism, embracing a more lyrical abstraction than in some of his darker figurative pieces. The textured application of paint and rhythmic brushstrokes echo techniques of Tachisme and Abstract Expressionism, while the motif of a burning candle and open book infuses the composition with themes of memory, transience, and inner reflection. Li’s approach here is both poetic and deeply introspective, marking a departure from overt figuration toward symbolic suggestion.

3. Historical Context
Created in a post-2000s Chinese art scene increasingly open to individual expression, 3 Days reflects the personal and philosophical turn taken by many contemporary artists in the wake of rapid modernization and globalization. The painting may be interpreted as a meditation on time—three days of contemplation, grief, isolation, or creation—amidst the chaos of internal or external forces. It subtly references the solitary artist’s journey in an increasingly digitized and disconnected world.

4. Provenance
Provenance documentation can be provided upon contact.

5. Condition and Conservation
The painting is in very good condition. The canvas is structurally stable, and the surface texture remains rich and intact, with no noted damage, pigment loss, or restoration. The impasto and palette knife textures are preserved beautifully, suggesting careful handling and storage.

6. Artistic Significance
3 Days is a compelling work that exemplifies Li Xiaoqi’s sensitivity to mood, texture, and metaphor. Its introspective tone and compositional balance offer a deeply personal experience to viewers, while its symbolism—books, candles, ink—resonates with a long tradition of literati and philosophical painting in Chinese culture. The piece offers strong appeal to collectors of contemporary Chinese art interested in psychological landscapes and mixed-genre abstraction.