Timjune Tianjun Li 
李天竣



Tianjun Li (b. 1999, CN/FI), also known as Timjune, is a Helsinki-based interdisciplinary artist whose work spans photography, sound, and vocal performance.

Li’s practice reimagines a dual narrative of fantasy and reality in the human-nature relationship within contemporary social contexts. Born with synesthesia, Li perceives visuals within sounds. With a vocal range spanning more than four octaves, Li’s vocal experiments reflect natural movements and social landscapes. Through reconstructing images, sound, and voice, Li creates surreal, fable-like utopias grounded in the harsh realities of the Anthropocene in the forms of photographs, installations, and audiovisual performances.

Li's work has been exhibited internationally at venues such as the PhotoNorth- Northern Photography Centre (FI), Contemporary Image Museum (CN), Kotka Biennale (FI), Helsinki City Museum (FI), PhotoSCHWEIZ Festival (CH), Tree Art Museum (CN), Photometria International Photography Festival (GR), Paris Photo Day (FR), M. Žilinskas Art Museum (LT), Kuću Legata Museum (RS) and Africa Foto Fair x MuCAT Museum (CI). Li has also been selected for fully funded artist residencies at SIM Residency (IS), Nordiskt Ljus (SE), Kotka Art Biennale Residency (FI), and Three Shadows Photography Art Centre (CN). Recently, Timjune received several awards, including 1st Place in the New Talents of Belgrade Photo Month 2023, the 1839 Photography Award, and the Art Lives Here Program by Leonardo Hotels.

As a performing artist working with voice and image, Li has performed and showcased his project at Künstlerstadt Kalbe (DE), Crypt Gallery London (UK), SIM Residency Reykjavik (IS), Kotka Art Biennale (FI), Design Museum of Barcelona (ES), Myymälä2 Gallery (FI), Stockholm Fringe Festival (SE), Outsider Art Festival (Fi), Kulturhus Cyklopen (SE), Skissernas Museum (SE), Helsinki International Artist Programme (FI), Forum Box (FI), and the Finnish Museum of Theatre (FI).

Recently, Li was selected as the cover artist for Modern Weekly's 'Vocals Lead to the Future' issue and featured in Der Grief 17 (launched at Paris Photo Fair). Li have been recognized as one of ADCE’s 30 Best Young European Creative Talents, with a presentation and performance at the Design Museum of Barcelona.

Beyond their artistic practice, Li collaborates with musicians and companies such as Warner Music Group to create photography and album artwork.








Education
2022-2024 
Visual Cultures, Curating, Contemporary Art, Master of Art, Aalto University, Finland

Sound in New Media (Minor), Aalto University, Finland

2017-2021
Communication, Bachelor of Art, South China Normal University, China

Exhibitions 
Solo Exhibitions
2024 Photo North - Northern Photographic Centre, Oulu 

Dual Exhibition
2021 Rêverie: Christophe Tissot & Tianjun Li Dual Exhibition, Galerie Cipango, Paris

Group Exhibitions
2024
Africa Foto Fair, MuCAT Museum 

Aavistus Biennial of Audiovisual Art, Helsinki City Museum

Re-count Photography Agora, Ibn-Rachiq Cultural Center, Tunis

International Photography and Media Art Festival, M. Žilinskas Art Museum, Kaunas 

Art Lives Here (Final Winner), NYX Hotel by Leonardo Hotels, Warsaw

Urban Apa x Stoa, Stoa Cultural Centre, Helsinki

OPIA Festival Gallery Exhibition (Presented by Olafur Arnalds), Utrecht

Kokta Art Biennale, Kotka (FI)

Microtonal Music Studios Research and Study Programme Exhibition, Myymälä2 Gallery, Helsinki

Together: Poetic Asian Hands, Gaoshan Gallery, Helsinki

Directors Choice, photo: SCHWEIZ, Zürich

KREATIVITÄT DER LANGSAMKEIT, GISELA – Freier Kunstraum Lichtenberg, Berlin



2023
World Biennial of Student Photography, Novi Sad

1839 Photography Award, Contemporary Image Museum, Chengdu International Photography Festival, Chengdu

OPIA Launch Event Gallery (Presented by Ólafur Arnalds), Silent Green Kulturquartier, Berlin

Photometria International Photography Festival, Loannina, Greece

Hamburg Portfolio Review Public Space Exhibition, Platz der Republik (Altonaer Museum), Hamburg

Single Shot Winner Exhibition, Festival di Fotografia a Capri, Certosa San Glacomo, Capri

Creativity in the Time of COVID-19: Art as a Tool for Combating Inequity and Injustice, Buffalo Arts Studio, New York 

Past & Present: Der Greif 15 Anniversary, Pinakothek der Moderne and ZIRKA, Munich

Solo Exhibition, Space Place Gallery of Contemporary Art, Nizhny Tagil

Living Room, Free City of Kalasatama Gallery, Helsinki

Artistic Presentation in Vuosaari Ecologies, Villa Lill Kallvik, Helsinki

New Talents 2023 (1st Prize Winner), Belgrade Photo Month, Belgrade

Schu1pture the 0ther Way, Vallian Panimo Gallery, Helsinki


2022  
Empty Lawn, Photography Group Exhibition, Banshan Gallery, Tokyo


2021 
Rêverie: Christophe Tissot & Tianjun Li Dual Exhibition, Galerie Cipango, Paris

Photo Days Paris 2021, Paris

8th Stars Project: Contemporary Art Exhibition, Tree Art Museum, Beijing

Bushu Art Book Fair, Golden Union Surpass Space Expo, Shanghai

Poetry of Life, C-Town Art Space, Nanjing


2020 
Hide and Seek Experimental Photography Exhibition, Banshan Gallery, Tokyo

Film 500 Drift Photography Group Exhibition, Fuji X-SPACE, Shanghai

Solitude: Edge and Consciousness, Gumei Art Center, Shanghai

CHABF Art Book Exhibition, A4 International Art Residency Center, Chengdu

NABF Nanjing Art Book Fair, "Echo Project" Nanjing

Ningbo International Photography Week, Ningbo

Winter Exhibition, Echo Dark Gallery, Shenzhen


2019  
The Shapes of Hibernation, Solo Exhibition, Smilology Gallery, Guangzhou

RETURN Cross-Media Art Group Exhibition, Arbre Art Centre, Shenzhen


Features and Presses

Fotobus further 05, 2024

Der Grief (Issue 17, Launch during Paris Photo Fair), 2024

Dovetail Magazine, 2024

Visual Dialogue, seen-zeen Magazine, 2024

假杂志 JIAZAZHI Feature Article, 2024

Featured Interview, Modern Weekly 周末画报, Dec, 2023

Agenda 2024, ISSP (Platform for Contemporary Photography, Riga), 2023

2nd Chengdu International Photography Festival Collection Publication, 2023

Featured Artist Seen-zeen Magazine, 2023

Feature Article in Ruskeat Tytöt Media #1, 2023

Cover Artist and Interview, Modern Weekly 周末画报, Nov. 2023

Photographer. ru, 2023

Foto Noviny 63, 2023

Black Camera, 2023

Photographer in Focus, NOWNESS Asia, 2023

Spotlight Interview, 艺术品鉴 Appreciation Journal, 2023

Subjective Atlas of Finland, Subjective Editions, 2023

Feature Article, BROAD Magazine, 2023

TORSO Magazine, Finland 2023

Personal Interview, Bestudio, Helsinki, 2023

Rotterdam Photo Festival 2022

Paris Photo Day 2021

Exhibition Book of 8th Stars Project: Contemporary Art Exhibition, Tree Art Museum, 2021

Interview: Tianjun Li:  "Painting" with Photos, creating moments of fantasy, Guangzhou Daily (GZ Photo) 2021

Cover Story & Artist Spotlight, SINK HOLLOW Magazine Spring Issue 2021 

Interview on 500px, 2021

Reppink Selects Feature Artist, Broad Magazine, 2020-2021

Opening Screen Display on Douban/Tuchong App, 2020-2021 

Cover Story & Interview: Tianjun Li: To Create a Moment in Fantasy, BLINK Magazine Vol. 040, 2020 

Interview on What You Need, August 2020 

Online Exhibition, BIE, July. 2020

Young Power Art Program Interview, BOBOSNAP Magazine, Spring Issue 2021/Fall Issue 2020

BLINK Artist Project: Tianjun Li: The moment when photography is implemented is mysterious, BLINK Magazine Vol. 034, 2019
Artist Residency
2024  
Art Lives Here - Photographic Artist Residency by Leonardo Hotels, PL (Fully Funded)

Nordiskt Ljus, SW (Fully Funded)

Camp Method Residency for Kokta Art Biennale, FI (Fully Funded)

Winter Campus Residency, Künstlerstadt Kalbe, DE (Fully Funded)
2023 
SIM Artist Residency, Reykjavik, IS (Granted by Aalto Art and Media Grant)

Theatre in Palm Artist Residency, SW & FI (Funded by Creative Europe)

2021
Three Shadows Photography Art Center & Portman Hotel Residency (Funded by Jimei x Arles International Photo Festival), CN

Aranya Eastern Rising Tide Photography Artist Residency Program (Funded by Aranya), CN

Photographic Artist Residency Program, Yan Art Gallery (Funded by A8 Design Center), CN

2020  
Ripple: Artist-in-Residence Program, Spontaneous Art Village, Shanghai, CN

Performances & Concerts

2024

Selected Sound Artist for ORGANISTRUM Prgramme, KokoTheater, Helsinki

Nomads Festival: Helsinki Experimental Series, Performing with Helsinki Improvisers Orchestra, Forum Box Gallery, Helsinki

Rendered Voice, Skissernas Museum, Lund (11.2024)

Intent: Practice, Research and Togetherness, Helsinki International Artist Programme, Helsinki

Kulturhus Cyklopen, Stockholm Fringe Festival, Stockholm

Concert at Nordist Ljus, Kungälv

Outsider Art Festival, Mad House, Helsinki

SLURPS - New Stage of Contemporary Art, Pori

Kotka Art Biennale, Finland

Performance and Presentation, 30 Best Young European High Potentials Creative Talents by Art Directors Club of Europe (ADCE), Design Museum of Barcelona

Concert, Microtonal Music Studios Research and Study Week, Myymälä2 Gallery, Helsinki

Solo Concert, Künstlerstadt Kalbe, Kalbe

Performance at SIM Residency, Reykjavik

2023

Vocalist in Helsinki Improvisation Orchestra, Helsinki

Performance at PENTHOUSE Gallery, Helsinki

Polyphonic, Crypt Gallery, London

Performance at Finnish Museum of Theatre, Helsinki

Photosynth Social Club: Summer Beat Camp & Sound Bathouse Performance, PIXELACHE Festival, Helsinki

Vocalist in Chicago Boys - While We Were Singing, They Were Dreaming, IHME Helsinki


Previous Grants
2024 Northern Photographic Centre Exhibition Grant, 1000 €

2024 Leonardo Hotels, Winner of Art Lives Here Programme, 1000 €

2024 Aalto University, Scholarship, 7500 €

2024 Nordiskt Ljus Residency Grant, 500 €

2024 Camp Method Residency Grant for Kokta Art Biennale, 400 €

2024 MIgration Institute of Finland Research Grant, 800 €

2024 Finnfoto Grant for Exhibition Production, 1000 €

2024  Winter Campus Residency Grant, Künstlerstadt Kalbe 300 €

2023 Aalto University, Art and Media Grant, 600 €

2023 Aalto University, Art and Media Grant, 670 €

2023 Ruskeat Tytöt Media, 400 €

2023 Amatryx Lab & Studio and Michigan State University, 250 €

2023 Theatre in Palm Residency, Funded by Creative Europe, 1.000 €

2023 Aalto University, Scholarship, 1.500 €

2023 Aalto University, Art and Media Grant, 750 €


Other Artistic Programmes
2024
Tutor for Visual Culture, Curating, and Contemporary Art MA, Aalto University

Performance and Presentation, 30 Best Young European High Potentials Creative Talents by Art Directors Club of Europe (ADCE), Design Museum of Barcelona

Vocalist in Helsinki Improvisation Orchestra, Helsinki

2023
Selected Artists of Hamburg Portfolio Review, Hamburg

Vocalist in Chicago Boys - While We Were Singing, They Were Dreaming, IHME Helsinki

Subjective Atlas of Finland, Subjective Editions, Curated by Annelys Devet

2021
Selected artist for Connections Through Culture, China-British Art Links, British Council

Prize for Excellence at The One. art Global NFT Arts Competition

2020
Young Power Artist Program, BOBOSNAP Magazine

2019
First Prize at Photography Competition, Art23 Contemporary Art Gallery, Guangzhou