Lihua Lei
Farley
Installation - Performance - Sculpture
I am an installation artist, performance artist and sculptor living in Cushing, Maine, who uses natrural, organic, biodegradable and recyclable materials to create engaging, fertile spaces that encourage participation and reflection. My works have addressed themes of healing, transformation, environmental stewardship, climate change, impermanence, aging and death. As an installation artist I thoughtfully integrate the essence of the site, the surrounding landscape and site specific natural elements into my art whether it is installed in an art gallery or a pristine natural setting. In my previous sculptures and installations I have used living trees, a farm pond, a stream bank, straw, lac, rice, ice and clay as media for my works. My works have been installed in natural settings in Ohio, Iowa and Maine, as well as Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington, D.C., Colby Museum of Art, Waterville, Maine, University of Maine at Augusta, Center for Maine Contemporary Art, Rockport, Maine, Bronx Museum of Art, NYC, and University of New England Art Gallery, Portland, Maine.
I completed a BS in Social Work in Taipei, I then traveled to Ohio where I completed my Masters Degree in Art Therapy at Wright State University. Wanting more formal fine art education I returned to Wright State University to receive my Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts, then on to University of Iowa where I received my Master’s Degree in Fine Arts. I am an alumni of Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture 1998 and 2021. I have strived to make my art accessible to all, as I understand that art engages and inspires on many levels. I am inspired to create art that will help to heal people and the environment. I am currently commissioned to produce installations for Georges River Land Trust and Langlais Art Preserve in Midcoast Maine with openings in June and August of 2026.
RESIDENCIES
2021 Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, Skowhegan, Maine
1998 Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, Skowhegan, Maine
GRANTS/HONORS/AWARDS
2022 Meet Our 10 Mainers To Be Thankful For
2008 NYC Women Honor Role Models Honorees in the National Women’s History Project, including: Judy Chicago, Harmony Hammond, Edna Hibel, Lihua Lei, Rose Cecil O’Neill, Violet Oakley, Jaune Quick-to-see Smith, Faith Ringgold, Miriam Schapiro, Lorna Simpson, Nancy Spero, and June Claire Wayne.
2008 WYNN Newhouse Awards
EDUCATION
1999 MFA, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa
1997 BA, Fine Arts, Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio
1993 MA, Art Therapy, Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio
1989 BS, The Welfare of Children and Youth, Chinese Culture University, Taipei, Taiwan
SELECTED ONE-PERSON EXHIBITIONS
1997 Promised Seeds, Checkered Space, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa
1998 White Tear, On-site public art, Solon, Maine
2000 One in Eight, On-site performance, Bingham, Maine
2002 One Bag of Blood, Jewett Hall Gallery, University of Maine at Augusta, Augusta, Maine
2005 Sidhe, Center for Maine Contemporary Art, Rockport, Maine
2006-7 Phantom Pain (Currents 3), Colby College Museum of Art, Waterville, Maine
2022 Offering, Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, Skowhegan, Maine
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2000 Artist in the Marketplace (AIM20), The Bronx Museum of Art, New York
2002 Past Present Future: 50th Anniversary Exhibition, Center for Maine Contemporary Art, Rockport, Maine
2003-4 20/20 enVision, Maine Crafts Association 20th Anniversary Exhibition, Colby College Museum of Art, Waterville, Maine; University of New England, Portland, Maine
2006 Transformation 06, VSA arts, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington, DC
2012 Maine Women Pioneers III- Vanguard, University of New England Art Gallery, Portland, Maine
2015 SomewHERE, Common Street Arts Gallery, Waterville, Maine
2024 Offering (Maine Documentary Shorts Program), Maine International Film Festival (MIFF), Waterville, Maine
PUBLIC COLLECTIONS
Colby College Museum of Art, Waterville, Maine