Arts Thread

White, blue, black, meteor, atmosphere, black hole, I board a spaceship, a daydreamer of fantasy and reality, eeking to sketch the outline of the universe. Florence Liu (Zihan Liu) is an illustrator and dreamer whose practice navigates the delicate terrain between narrative, material, and emotion. Drawing and storytelling are her instinctive tools, mapping her inner and outer worlds. Her sketchbooks are filled with moments of observation and wonder—lines that weave together what is seen, what is felt, and what is imagined. With an enduring curiosity for the materiality of art, she extends her explorations beyond paper, onto wood, stone, and every surface the mind dares to envision. In her work, Florence experiments with combining traditional printmaking techniques with unconventional materials. She observes how ink pools, fractures, and dances across textures, how chance leaves its trace, and how these marks can be transformed into new narratives. This process is as much about discovery as it is about creation: each surface reveals a secret, each accident becomes an entry point into a deeper conversation between hand, material, and meaning. Equally, Florence is captivated by the world of books and the intimate act of bookmaking. She sees the book not simply as a vessel for text and image but as a multi-sensory object—a convergence of touch, sight, and memory. To her, a book can transcend its conventional form: it might be a collection of poems inscribed on leaves, carrying the breath of the forest; a time-worn stone recording the slow movement of time; or a seashell, imagined as a delicate currency for exchanging stories with the world. Much of Florence’s inspiration comes from nature and the human heart. Long walks through forests and journeys across shifting landscapes give her a sense of renewal and strength. At the same time, she is drawn to the quiet complexity of human emotions—their subtle shades, their hidden depths. She seeks to unearth the connections between the organic rhythms of the natural world and the equally intricate patterns of feeling and memory. In the future, Florence hopes to continue weaving together her own narrative and those of others, creating works that resonate across boundaries of language, material, and form. Through ongoing experimentation, she strives to push the limits of illustration and art, exploring ever more possibilities for connecting fantasy and reality, self and universe. Please contact me: mrsfrozen0612@gmail.com