Based in Shenzhen, b. 1970

Xisheng Liu is a contemporary Chinese printmaker whose practice explores social memory, regional identity, and everyday lived experience through woodcut and relief printmaking. Rooted in observations of Northwestern China and frontier regions, his works depict local communities, labor, markets, and cultural life with a strong sense of humanity and historical presence.

Defined by dense linear carving, dramatic black-and-white contrasts, and layered compositions, Liu’s prints merge documentary realism with emotional depth. Through the physical act of carving, he transforms ordinary scenes into visually powerful narratives that carry both psychological intensity and social resonance.

For Liu, printmaking is not only a medium of image-making, but also a process of recording time, memory, and collective experience. His practice reflects an ongoing engagement with realism, craftsmanship, and the expressive potential of traditional printmaking within a contemporary context.