Where the Cape Turns showcases a selection of water-based woodblock prints created through my Research and Creation project, Innovating Chinese Printmaking: Contemporary Praxis, funded by the Canada Council for the Arts. I have been fortunate to access professional learning resources on this longstanding printmaking tradition, allowing me to study it independently with a focus on experimentation and contemporary approaches. The research includes toolmaking, testing woodblocks and papers, and exploring stylistic lineages. Although I can confidently produce prints using this method, due to time constraints and the project’s exploratory nature, the works are presented as artist proofs, each representing a unique interaction of ink, moisture, pressure, and surface. The selection features four techniques: Douban, modern water-based woodblock, water-based monoprint, and proof collage. The imagery depicts coastlines and turning capes, symbolizing themes of migration, identity, and tradition. It investigates how cultural knowledge is passed down, reinterpreted, and transformed through lived experiences and contemporary practice.

Kai Liu, a Chinese-Canadian artist, focuses on painting and printmaking. He originally trained in drawing and painting in China and began his career in animation. After moving to Canada, he worked as a graphic designer in Ontario, then relocated to British Columbia, where he studied advanced printmaking at Langara College. He holds both a BFA and an MFA from Emily Carr University of Art + Design. His work has been exhibited across Canada, and he currently teaches at Emily Carr University as well as in community settings.

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Where the Cape Turns is on at Dundarave Print Workshop + Gallery until February 15th, 2026.