Walking across the expansive campus of Michigan State University, it’s hard to miss Beaumont Tower, which stands at an astonishing 104 feet tall, or the vast footprint of Spartan Stadium. These iconic campus landmarks are just a few MSU favorites captured in a collection of Chinese paintings by visiting scholar Rui Li.

Li’s “I Came, I Saw, I Love MSU” art exhibition, showcased in the International Center, features 20 paintings inspired by her time at MSU.

Since her arrival in East Lansing last August, Li experienced snow for the first time, attended a tailgate at Spartan Stadium, and was thrilled to see the black and brown squirrels scampering across campus. 

As she took in the sights and sounds of the bustling campus, she was inspired to pick up her paint brush. “I really wanted to express the feelings I had when I first arrived in East Lansing,” Li said. “The campus was big and amazing and I had to paint it. My art is also an expression of my appreciation for my experiences at MSU.” 

An award-winning artist whose paintings have been selected for various national and provincial exhibitions, Li is a professor, painter, and graduate supervisor at Taiyuan University of Technology in China. She came to MSU for the Visiting International Professional Program to conduct independent research on landscape art in Western and Chinese traditions.

Li, who has a master’s degree in Chinese painting, says her process of creating art is much different from Western paintings. “Chinese painting is a very traditional art form with specific rules; it uses special paper, special pens, colors, techniques and materials,” Li said.

Li says her experience at MSU was very beneficial; she enjoyed the campus, the people, and says her favorite thing was learning to speak English. She was especially surprised and delighted by the squirrels on campus, depicting them in one of her paintings. According to Li, there aren’t any squirrels on campus at Taiyuan University of Technology in China.

In addition to the paintings of Beaumont Tower, Spartan Stadium, and the squirrels, there are paintings of other familiar spots on campus like Linton Hall, the John Hannah statue, the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum and Erickson Hall.

Her art depicts different people who have crossed her path, including an African-American girl with braids and a child from one of the classrooms at Red Cedar Elementary where Li volunteered her time. She added traditional Chinese paintings in the MSU collection, including one featuring a bird that she calls “Lotus and Kingfisher” and a vivid traditional painting she named “Red, Drunk, Dance.”

Some of her art is in color while others are painted in black and white. “The color used depends on the theme I want to express,” said Li. “I would rather use black and white to emphasize different lines.”

When asked to choose a favorite painting out of the “I Came, I Saw, I Love MSU” art exhibition, Li chose Beaumont Tower. She says it is because of the structure, image, and use of dark ink.

Steven Hanson, associate provost and dean of International Studies and Programs, was one of the first to tour the exhibit. “This is amazing,” said Hanson. “She really captured the MSU community in a beautiful and unique way.”

Li is returning home this spring with a new collection of art, a sense of Spartan pride, and warm memories of her visit to MSU. And in the true spirit of cultural exchange, she’s leaving behind some of her paintings for all Spartans to enjoy.