"Beyond Form & Color" exhibit opens at Harford Community College

Dec. 6—A new exhibit entitled "Beyond Form & Color," which features the work of artist Qiuwen Li, will be on display in the Chesapeake Gallery, located in the Student Center on the Harford Community College campus, through Jan. 6.

Li is a graphic designer and an assistant professor of graphic design at Santa Clara University. She is also the co-founder of emotionlab, a progressive research lab to create positive emotional experiences for people through innovative design approaches to human problems.

Born in China, she graduated with a bachelor's degree in graphic design from St. Cloud State University and received her master's degree in visual studies focusing on graphic design from Minneapolis College of Art and Design.

"In my designs, graphic elements (shapes, color, pattern, type) are constructed, deconstructed and then reconstructed in order to create a richer experience and extend their meaning," Li said. "As a designer, I understand the need for legibility, but I am more concerned with communicating something more visceral, expressive and imaginative. My work engages viewers in a way that evokes playing games and figuring out puzzles. They simply can't get enough of it, and that's a good thing, because that's the key to engagement."

HCC's Chesapeake Gallery features contemporary art by emerging and established artists, as well as Harford's faculty, staff and students. It serves as an educational link between the community and the practice of art and design in the region.

The Chesapeake Gallery is located on the second floor of the Student Center. Parking is free and handicapped parking is available close to the gallery. Gallery hours are Mondays and Thursdays, 8:30 a.m. — 7 p.m.; Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 8:30 a.m. — 5 p.m.; and Fridays, 8:30 a.m. — 4:30 p.m. The gallery is closed on weekends and major holidays.

For more information, contact Brad Blair, Chesapeake Gallery coordinator, at bblair@harford.edu.