RAINE LI

Raine Li is a multimedia artist exploring the intersection of Yi ethnic minority culture and emerging technologies. Her work investigates how ancestral wisdom can be reimagined through contemporary digital expressions. After completing her Master's degree from Glasgow School of Art, Raine has focused on developing innovative ways to translate traditional cultural elements into immersive digital experiences.



Working with digital art and extended reality (XR), Raine creates immersive experiences in her 'Yi Series'. This acclaimed project has been exhibited at prestigious venues in London, Venice, Milan, New York, and Hong Kong.



Raine's practice demonstrates how cultural heritage can actively evolve in our digital age, positioning traditional wisdom not as a static artifact but as a living force capable of continuous renewal through technological innovation. Currently, she is developing 'Digital Dreamscapes', an AI-powered XR environment where Yi mythology and oral traditions are transformed into interactive virtual landscapes. This new project uses machine learning to analyze traditional Yi narratives and generate responsive digital environments, allowing viewers to experience ancient stories through embodied interaction.

STATEMENT:

As an artist working at the intersection of Yi culture and digital media, my practice investigates the complex dynamics of cultural identity in our digital age. Through a post-colonial lens, I explore dialogues between traditional wisdom and contemporary technology, challenging the binary opposition between heritage and innovation. My work examines how cultural identity continuously evolves through new forms of representation.



My position as a Yi ethnic minority artist based in London offers a unique perspective on cultural translation and hybrid identity. I embrace this dual cultural position as a productive site where new meanings and representations emerge. This framework informs my belief that cultural heritage is not a static artifact to be preserved behind glass, but a living entity capable of evolution while maintaining its essential spirit.



Through practice-based research, my multimedia digital art deliberately blurs the boundaries between physical and digital realms. In 'Yi Series', I explore the multi-layered cultural heritage of Yi ethnic minority through an immersive digital lens. Using real-time 3D modeling and procedural generation, I transform traditional Yi cultural elements into immersive digital experiences. Ancient Yi epics and literature are reimagined through generative calligraphy and particle systems. Field recordings of Yi folk music are processed through machine learning algorithms, creating evolving soundscapes that echo ancestral melodies.



By integrating Yi cultural elements with digital innovation, my practice moves beyond mere documentation to actively participate in shaping contemporary cultural experiences. Through this hybrid approach, I create spaces where technological reproduction enhances rather than diminishes traditional culture, transforming and redistributing it in meaningful ways. My work invites viewers to experience how ancestral wisdom can be reimagined through contemporary technology, contributing to an evolving dialogue between heritage and innovation in our increasingly digital world.