Raffia Li 那/那儿 ~ Keywords:  讠word-rituals 司/寺    -all 讠  breaking      吾    /yǔ/    in   -directions   co-creating in-between    writing-typing-signing-speaking-listening-touching -bodylands     in changing breaths and minor edges/senses    氵（游） play pauses  脉搏 / 暂停  小 （乐）slow-play (hills)heals (山)疗愈 yù 昜（场） dialoguing melting   f  i e l d s  田   / 野 / 域  yù 雨 /yǔ/

Raffia Li (They/TA) is a Rotterdam-based artist working closely with "otherwise"languages as poetic and political spaces for relation making/transforming,challenging and interrupting normative ways of knowledge and value production. Collaboration is at the heart of their work, both in art-making and organizing. Their current research explores access-making as ongoing rituals of rearranging the relations between our bodyminds, and thespace=time=space=time. They also work as a co-navigator for a DeafBlind friend.

/They tilt in slow dialoguing/

Their art practice is deeply influenced by poetry, theatre of the oppressed, reading of Zhuangzi, field research over shadow puppetry and their rituals in China, Thailand, Indonesia and India, their learning experience of being in a sign language art collective Shape of Language & their actions in the hutongs and streets, running a community art festival Mini Shadowplay Festival, diary/letter exchanges with friends, their MA study at DAI, observations of their dreaming state, and the river near Grandma 芹’s yard. Their individual and collaborated projects have been presented in Today Art Museum, Guangdong Times Museum, Wuzhen Theatre Festival, Kunstinstituut Melly, Museum Tinguely, Gasworks, Centre Pompidou, and others.

Learn more about Raffia Li's 20 minute performance I-我 we/us-我们  you-你/你们  They-TA/TA们 for UNDERSTORY CHANT ~ Aeroponic Acts 2021, August 2021 in Arnhem. 

Learn more about Raffia Li's written MA thesis: The Under-sign: Languages as sites to be with, as they are\

Since 2023 Raffia Li returns to DAI as a member of the Admissions Committee. Raffia also contributed to: APRiCot Garden 2025 "Research as Regenerative Practice"

Follow Raffia's "Life after DAI" through Instagram