Painting in oil on linen, and pastel and watercolour on handmade paper, artist Li-lan portrays birds and airplanes in flight, insects and animals, the occasional figure, and architectural imagery from places she has visited as well as those only seen in photographs. Her oeuvre began in the early 1960s and was comprised of still lifes and bright, detailed, and full figures. Over the years she has found her domain, transitioning through various subjects, while staying true to her independent spirit. Li-lan's detailed and imaginative subjects provide thought-provoking compositions. Author and art critic Carter Ratcliff summarises his prologue with these beckoning comments: 'There is no one right way to understand Li-lan's art. It is up to each of us to find interpretations that feel satisfactory. The richer my interpretation of Li-lan's art, the stronger is my sense of myself as an interpreter, as one sensibility communicating with another...It depends, rather, on my willingness to be open to the extraordinary potential of Li-lan's imagery.'