“Rising Water” is a compilation of works created by ALH’s 2024 Texas Artist of the Year, Beili Liu, across diverse global locations. Each piece is crafted to draw viewers in with the intricate beauty of Liu’s technique while simultaneously confronting them with the stark realities of climate change. Liu’s practice explores how climate issues intersect with labor, migration, and social concerns, weaving these themes into a cohesive narrative that reflects the complexity of our global environmental crisis.
Each artwork in the exhibition is intimately connected to the specific environment in which it was created, reflecting the unique environmental and social issues of that locale. From documenting the deteriorating walls of her studio in the sinking city of Venice to capturing the gathered ocean plastic debris along multiple coastlines, Liu collects intimate evidence of the climate crisis while studying complex ecological and sociopolitical challenges of new environments. Despite these localized inspirations, Liu’s work possesses a profound universality. The themes she addresses resonate beyond their geographic origins, speaking to broader environmental and social challenges that affect communities worldwide.
In Houston, a city that has experienced a notable increase in the frequency and intensity of natural disasters such as hurricanes and floods, Liu’s work takes on additional layers of meaning. The exhibition’s exploration of climate-induced displacement and environmental degradation finds a particularly poignant echo in Houston’s own struggles with these issues. Through her art, Liu not only underscores the global nature of the climate crisis but also invites viewers to reflect on its local impacts and the interconnectedness of our responses to these challenges.
The monograph “Beili Liu: Mend,” published by Art League Houston and designed by Isobel Chiang of Small Editions, will be released in conjunction with this exhibition. The publication features six essays by Edward Chambers, Annette DiMeo Carlozzi, Bridget Bray, Katie Pfohl, Kay Whitney, and Benjamin Hickey.