Associate Curators & Project-Based Collaborators

Yueying Li

Artistic & Cultural Director | Asia-Pacific Executive Director ART ORIENTAL LTD (United Kingdom)

Artistic Director of Q-Eraya – Qatar International Art Festival 2025

Profile

Yueying Li is an internationally recognized cultural strategist, curator, and art program director whose practice bridges Eastern aesthetics with Western contexts, uniting philosophical reflection, institutional vision, and artistic innovation.

As the Artistic & Cultural Director and Asia-Pacific Executive Director of ART ORIENTAL LTD (UK), she oversees large-scale cultural collaborations across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, developing cross-cultural frameworks that connect art, education, and social dialogue.

Her curatorial philosophy views art not merely as an exhibition format, but as a language of civilization — a process through which meaning, identity, and empathy are continuously reconstructed.

She believes that curation is not confined to presenting works, but rather to creating spaces for shared understanding and cultural resonance.

“I do not curate exhibitions — I curate language, identity, understanding, and the future.”

— Yueying Li

Curatorial Journey

Yueying Li has participated in and directed numerous major international art and cultural projects spanning Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.

Her professional experience encompasses exhibition planning, cross-cultural collaboration, and educational development.

• International exhibitions and biennials (United Kingdom, France, Qatar, UAE, Italy, Japan, Georgia, Spain, and beyond)

• Urban public art and community projects (London, Chengdu, France, Athens)

• Cross-cultural education programs and artist residencies

• Museum collaborations and narrative studies of civilization

She regards the exhibition space as a site of learning and dialogue,where artistic experience becomes a medium for public understanding and shared empathy.

Work Experience

Independent Curator / Cultural & Educational Consultant (2010 – Present)

Yueying has long advanced artistic and cultural projects that merge traditional aesthetics with contemporary social thought.

She introduced the concept of “Educational Curation,” positioning exhibitions as platforms for critical learning and collective reflection.

Selected Projects:

• The Image of Text — Contemporary explorations of linguistic and visual structures

• Cultural Threads of the World — Showcasing Chinese, Japanese, African, and European artistic languages

• Youth Visual Writing Program — A visual dialogue connecting young artists from seven countries

• Visual Literacy Initiative — Developing global art education models and cross-cultural learning frameworks

ART ORIENTAL LTD (United Kingdom)

Asia-Pacific Executive Director / Artistic & Cultural Director (2020 – Present)

During her tenure at ART ORIENTAL LTD, Yueying has led numerous international exhibitions, biennial pavilions, and brand-based art programs.

Her approach integrates education, institutional collaboration, and cultural research into a global ecosystem of creativity and dialogue.

• World Art Dubai 2025–2026 (UAE) — Project Lead (UK / Asia Pavilion Pathway)

Theme: “Bridging Cultures: Tradition × Innovation.” Connecting British and Asian artists to advance cross-civilizational dialogue.

• QIAF 2025 (Qatar International Art Festival) — Artistic Director, Q-Eraya Official Brand

Responsible for the brand’s visual system, curatorial framework, and cultural outreach strategy.

• “Oriental Porcelain Charm – Hurun Global Ceramic List Global Tour” (Doha)

A cross-disciplinary initiative merging traditional craftsmanship with contemporary interpretation.

• Developed international art education programs and residency projects across the UK, France, Greece, Germany, and China.

Representative Curatorial Project

“Portraits in the Lower Register: Faces, Memory, and the Hidden Melodies of Culture”

This exhibition centers on the face as a core motif, exploring the low-frequency resonance between emotion, memory, and cultural symbols.

Through painting, installation, and multimedia narratives, it unfolds the tension between the individual and the collective — between the cry and the whisper, suppression and transformation.

Structured in four chapters — The Cry, The Whisper, The Memory, The Transformation —

the exhibition constructs a psychological theatre of overlooked emotions and shared cultural memory.

In Li’s curatorial vision, faces become musical scores, memories become harmonies, and cultural symbols become rhythm.

Seemingly ordinary objects — such as a White Rabbit candy — appear as gentle counter-melodies,

evoking cross-generational resonance and emotional echo.

Through this lower register, Li reveals that true strength often lies in what remains unheard.

She believes art’s meaning is not found in noise, but in silence —

not at the center of attention, but in those quiet spaces where humanity rediscovers its own voice.

Curatorial Projects & Exhibition Plans

Exhibitions

1. Global Migration Narratives — Group Exhibition

2. Digital Orient — New Media Art Exhibition

3. Women and the Politics of Identity — Feature Exhibition of Women Artists

4. Art in the Post-Pandemic Era — International Collaborative Exhibition

5. Another Possibility of the City — Photography & Video Art Exhibition

6. New Practices in Contemporary Sculpture — Sculpture Exhibition

7. Young Artists Joint Exhibition — In Planning

8. Cross-Cultural Dialogue — In Planning

Long-term Curatorial Vision

To build a cross-cultural artistic ecosystem through international residencies, biennial collaborations,

and museum collection initiatives — establishing a sustainable global mechanism for the continual exchange among art, education, and culture.

Geographic Practice

United Kingdom · France · Italy · Spain · Greece · Qatar · UAE · Australia · South Korea · Japan · Georgia · Singapore · China · Germany

Institutional & Cultural Roles

• Artistic & Cultural Director / Asia-Pacific Executive Director, ART ORIENTAL LTD (UK)

• Artistic Director, Q-Eraya (Official Brand of Qatar International Art Festival 2025)

• Project Lead, World Art Dubai 2025–2026 (UK / Asia Pavilion Pathway)

• Executive Committee Member, QIAF 2025

• Founder & Director of Cross-Cultural Initiatives in London, Doha, Dubai, Tokyo, Sydney, and Athens

Philosophy & Methodology

• Cross-Cultural Narratives — Positioning art as a medium for civilizational dialogue

• Institutional Poetics — Balancing structure and emotion, precision and resonance

• Art as Education — Transforming exhibition spaces into sites of learning and empathy

• Cultural Listening — Rediscovering the human voice within silence

Signature Statement

“Art is not the echo of noise — it is the way humanity learns to listen to itself again.It gives time warmth, and civilization continuity.”

— Yueying Li

Steve Porter

Director of Art & Education Projects (International)

ART ORIENTAL LTD (United Kingdom Headquarters)

Professional Biography

Steve Porter is a contemporary artist, art educator, and visual culture researcher based in Wiltshire, United Kingdom.

His research centres on “Drawing as Perceptual Practice”—an inquiry into the intersection between artistic creation, educational methodology, and social engagement. Through this integrated approach, he explores how art functions as a catalyst for learning, emotional balance, and collective cultural development.

Over more than two decades of professional practice, Steve has devoted himself not only to artistic creation but also to developing an academically grounded framework that connects art with education. He believes that “creativity is the natural human state,” and that the purpose of education is to awaken this instinct—allowing art to become a pathway for understanding the world, expressing emotion, and restoring psychological harmony.

Education and Academic Background

• B.Ed in Fine Art, University of Southampton, United Kingdom

• Ongoing research fields: Philosophy of Art Education, Visual Cognition and Creative Psychology, Art as Therapy, and Cross-Cultural Education Systems

• Long-term collaborator in UK national art education initiatives, working with local governments and cultural institutions to promote the “Art in Schools” programme

• Invited speaker at international symposia on art education, presenting research on “Drawing as a Relational Act.”

Professional Role and Responsibilities

(ART ORIENTAL LTD, UK Headquarters)

As Director of Art & Education Projects (International) at ART ORIENTAL LTD,

Steve leads the institution’s global academic and educational development across the following areas:

1. Academic System Development

• Designs and directs an integrated international framework combining Art + Education + Research;

• Promotes strategic collaborations with UK and European academies and research institutions;

• Establishes an academic archive and publication platform focused on contemporary art education studies.

2. Educational and Artistic Integration

• Oversees multi-level educational programmes for youth, adults, and professional artists;

• Leads community and public art initiatives, advancing a “Learning through Making” experiential model;

• Develops innovative teaching methods grounded in observation, body awareness, and visual perception.

3. International Collaboration and Curatorial Projects

• Co-curates global touring exhibitions, residencies, and education-based showcases;

• Represents ART ORIENTAL LTD at international art education conferences and biennales;

• Expands the organisation’s publishing collaborations and international lecture network.

4. Cross-Cultural Educational Innovation

• Establishes cultural and educational exchange platforms between Asia and Europe;

• Integrates Art as Therapy within social and psychological education;

• Conducts research on visual cognition and creative diversity across multicultural contexts.

Artistic Practice and Research Focus

Steve’s artistic practice is best represented by his acclaimed series “Wild Drawings”—a body of work that captures the dynamic states of nature and the human spirit through gestural, emotionally charged mark-making. These works embody his principle that “observation is participation.”

Often inspired by coastlines, forests, and mountain terrains, his drawings merge gesture, breath, and emotion to create a distinctive form of “Fluid Visual Poetics.” His ongoing research bridges traditional drawing, ecological aesthetics, and psychology, advocating for a renewed ethical relationship between human perception, emotion, and the natural world.

This framework has evolved into an educational methodology adopted by several UK school art programmes.

Selected Exhibitions and Research Projects

• Qatar International Art Festival (QIAF 2024) – UK exhibiting artist and digital showcase representative

• Cyprus Contemporary Art Platform – International artist-in-residence

• UK National “Art in Schools” Programme – Lead artist mentor for large-scale mural and community projects

• “Wild Drawings: The Human Trace” – Touring exhibition and curatorial project (London, Dubai, Seoul)

• ART ORIENTAL LTD – Arts & Education Department – Founding academic advisor and mentorship system architect

• Works held in permanent collections in the UK, Qatar, and Italy by private collectors and educational institutions

Academic Philosophy and Contributions

Steve’s academic inquiry emphasises the intersection of art education, emotional development, and social cohesion.

He formulated the theory of “Creative Ecology,” proposing that art education should transcend technical skill to become a holistic ecosystem integrating philosophy, embodied experience, and emotional intelligence.

Through his concept of “Relational Practice,” Steve promotes art as a participatory process that fosters community identity, shared authorship, and emotional healing—where learning itself becomes a creative and transformative act.

His educational philosophy continues to shape the direction of the ART ORIENTAL LTD Arts & Education Department, reinforcing its foundation in humanistic values, academic rigour, and international cultural dialogue.

“The highest form of education is to make creativity a natural way of life.”

— Steve Porter

Mr. Chengsong Su

Museum Director, ART ORIENTAL LTD (United Kingdom)

English Biography

Mr. Chengsong Su is a distinguished collector of mechanical civilization and image art, an entrepreneur, and a cultural advocate renowned for his unique vision that bridges art, technology, and history.

He has long been devoted to exploring the structural memory of human civilization through “the language of machines,” regarding collecting as a cultural mission intertwined with time, thought, and creativity.

As the Museum Director of ART ORIENTAL LTD (United Kingdom),

Mr. Su oversees the development of the institution’s museum systems in both the United Kingdom and China, including collection management, heritage strategy, and curatorial infrastructure.

He is also the Founder and Director of the ART ORIENTAL LTD Museum (China), leading a curatorial and research team dedicated to the study and presentation of mechanical civilization and image art.

Under the curatorial and philosophical direction of Ms. Yueying Li, Artistic and Cultural Director of ART ORIENTAL LTD,

the two have jointly built the institution’s dual pillars within the global art ecosystem:

“Curatorial Intelligence” and “Cultural Heritage Practice.”

While Ms. Li provides the intellectual and philosophical framework,

Mr. Su materializes these ideas through tangible museum architecture and a systematic collection strategy—

transforming curatorial thought into spatial experience and cultural heritage.

Together, they have established ART ORIENTAL LTD as a model of an international institution that unites conceptual depth with curatorial substance.

Professional and Collecting Background

Mr. Su began collecting mechanical civilization and image-related artefacts in 2008.

Over more than a decade, through refined aesthetic judgment and enduring cultural dedication,

he has built a cross-national collection spanning China and the United Kingdom, comprising over 1,800 historically significant mechanical objects.

His collection focuses primarily on film projectors, antique typewriters, and early photographic equipment.

As one of the earliest private collectors in China to systematically study and preserve film machinery,

Mr. Su has, over the past ten years, acquired and restored numerous historically and technically valuable pieces from the United Kingdom, the United States, Germany, Japan, and France.

Key highlights of his collection include:

• Prototype of the Lumière Cinematograph, 1895

• Pathé Projector, 1910s

• Zeiss Film Camera, 1920s

• Post-war American Projection Systems

These artefacts not only document the evolution of human communication and image technology

but also embody the transition from industrial civilization to artistic consciousness.

Mr. Su refers to them as “Machines of Time”,

for each mechanism tells, in its own language, the story of human memory.

Vision and Institutional Development

Under Mr. Su’s leadership, the ART ORIENTAL LTD Museum (China) has evolved into a comprehensive cultural institution integrating collection, research, restoration, and exhibition.

It focuses on the study of visual history, communication history, and mechanical civilization.

Meanwhile, the ART ORIENTAL LTD Exhibition Gallery (UK), also under his direction, specializes in the international display of mechanical art and the facilitation of cross-cultural exchange,

serving as a vital bridge between Eastern and Western civilizations.

Mr. Su proposed the museum philosophy “Let the Machines Speak Again,”

emphasizing that a museum is not merely a repository of objects, but a bridge between historical memory and contemporary thought.

In his vision, machines are not only technological legacies but also vessels of ideas and echoes of civilization.

The museum system he has developed rests upon three fundamental functions:

1. Preservation and reinterpretation of cultural memory

2. Education and dissemination of mechanical aesthetics

3. Cross-cultural engagement and public enlightenment

Mr. Su advocates for artistic and educational approaches that bring the beauty of machines into the public eye,

allowing younger generations to appreciate the profound truth that “technology is civilization, and machinery is art.”

International Collaboration and Cultural Impact

Building upon his extensive collection and institutional practice,

Mr. Su and the ART ORIENTAL LTD team have initiated several major international cultural projects, including:

• “Mechanical Civilization & Future Memory” International Exhibition

• “The Poetics of Machines and Images” Educational Series

• “UK–China Twin Museum Initiative” Academic Collaboration Program

Through exhibitions, publications, and academic research,

these projects have introduced mechanical art to a broader audience

and contributed to the redefinition of mechanical aesthetics within the global art discourse.

Core Areas of Expertise

• Collection of mechanical civilization and image art

• Museum development and cultural heritage management

• History of art and technology

• Cultural education and public engagement

• Cross-cultural curation and institutional development

Current Positions

• Museum Director, ART ORIENTAL LTD (United Kingdom)

• Founder & Director, ART ORIENTAL LTD Museum (China)

Philosophical Statement

“Machines do not merely preserve time;

they preserve the thoughts and emotions of humankind.

Every turning gear is the sound of civilization moving forward.”