Zhi-fang Li

Zhi-fang Li is a Hakka artist, designer and scholar based in Philadelphia, PA. She received her Masters of Fine Arts from the California Institute of the Arts’ Art and Technology program specializing in Integrated Media. Drawing from her personal history as a Hakka immigrant in the U.S., she explores the relationship between traditional and digital culture, especially in regards to diaspora, critical race theory and post-colonial theory. Her research explores the commercialization of identity and narratives of ethnic cultures in a post-digital age. This includes memetics, digital folklore and algorithmic control of information. She is also interested in ways to make interactive media more participatory and less prescribed. 

She has been exhibited in numerous galleries, cultural institutions academic universities nationwide. Currently, she is bringing over 10 years experience in visual design and art direction as an Assistant Professor at La Salle University’s Digital Arts (DART) program. She has previously worked with many small businesses, including B&H Photo in New York working in web/digital branding and advertising. Some clients she has had the pleasure of working with include Disney Imagineering, Canon, Sony, and CUNY Graduate Center. 

Areas of Expertise

Interactive Media

Graphic Design

Education

MFA, California Institute of the Arts

Selected Exhibitions

2023|Aberrant Creativity, The Arts Council of the Brazos Valley: College Station, TX

2023|We Like It, Cult Favorite Gallery: online

2020|Bear the Extended Body, CODE Art Research Program: online

2020|Art in Isolation, North Dakota Museum of Art: Grand Forks, ND

2019|Curatorial Axes – Dispositif and Body in Digital, The Wrong Biennale: online

2019|Pro-to-type, AlterWorks: NYC

2019|Films and Prototypes with Hackers & Designers, NDSM: Amsterdam, NL

2019|Crossing Boundaries, Dayton Society of Artists: Dayton, OH

2019|Faculty Biennial, Kutztown University: Kutztown, PA

2018|The Game Show, ABC No Rio x Flux Factory: NYC

2016|Small Space Festival, Emergency Arts: Las Vegas, NV

2016|Guest Gestures, JUMBO: Valencia, CA

Presentations

March 2024|”Nouns So Abstract- Part One, Birth: Marginalized Images in Generative AI ”

Eighteenth International Conference on Design Principles & Practices: Valencia, Spain

March 2024|”Mental Health in Gaming: Generating IRL EXP”

Penny Arcade Expo PAX: Boston, MA

February 2023|111th Annual College Arts Association (CAA) Conference: Professional Development

June 2020|”Psychology for Designer: Evidence-based Design Thinking”

UCDA Design Education Summit Human Centered: online

July 2019|”Coded Performance”

A workshop on non-competitive gaming using brain-computer interfaces, Hackers & Designers Summer

Academy: Amsterdam, NL

March 2019|”Mental Health & Experience Design: Building IRL EXP”

Penny Arcade Expo PAX: Boston, MA

December 2018|”Story of/”

A visual story rapid prototyping lab workshop, School of Visual Arts: New York, NY

May 2016|”Creative Research Dissertation: Biography of Rice”

California Institute of the Arts: Valencia, CA