In Episode #6 of WIPTHENRIP, Sydney Guzman and Ryan Sandison Montgomery sit down with Chinese-born, Scotland-based painter Le Liu for a conversation about painting, the body, art history, and navigating the cultural differences that have shaped his life and work. Le reflects on growing up in China, moving to Scotland, and developing a practice centered around nude and naked figures—subject matter that can be difficult to openly discuss or exhibit within the cultural context of China. The conversation moves through sexuality, censorship, the difference between nudity and nakedness, and the ways living between different cultures has influenced how he approaches the figure. Along the way, Le discusses the artists who have shaped his understanding of painting, from Titian and David Hockney to Cecily Brown, Willem de Kooning, Degas, Cézanne, Matisse, and Van Gogh. He talks about combining different histories and approaches to painting, his relationship to gesture and the body, and the realities of trying to build a career—and ultimately make a living—from his work. Le recently exhibited alongside Adam H. Marchand in Formability: The Plastic Limit of Figures at PAKD Gallery Berlin, on view August 7–28, 2026. ⸻ SUPPORT WIPTHENRIP PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/wipthenrip ⸻ FOLLOW WIPTHENRIP INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/wipthenrip/ TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@wipthenrip ⸻ FOLLOW THE HOSTS SYDNEY GUZMAN INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/sydneycguzman/ RYAN SANDISON MONTGOMERY INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/r_s_m/ ⸻ GUEST LE LIU INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/leliu/ ⸻ RECENT EXHIBITION FORMABILITY: THE PLASTIC LIMIT OF FIGURES Le Liu + Adam H. Marchand PAKD Gallery Berlin August 7–28, 2026 PAKD GALLERY INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/pakd.gallery/ PAKD GALLERY: https://www.pakd-gallery.com/ ⸻ Edited by Sydney Guzman, Art Villarreal, Ryan Sandison Montgomery Thank you for watching. If you enjoyed this conversation, please like, comment, subscribe, and share the episode. New conversations with artists, curators, collectors, and other voices from the art world are released regularly.
