© Tara Li-An

Artist /Photographer 


After graduating from Central Saint Martins in 2002 from a degree in sustainable art & design, Tara worked in design, film & the world of editorial.  Having experienced various creative paths, she has built up a photographic style which imbues all her creative experience. Using both digital and analogue processes, she seeks to break down narratives and  transgress formal portraiture. Her mix media work develops symbiotically with her photographic practise.  It comes from a more playful intuitive side -  Hazy boundaries, aberrations of fantasies, esoteric themes and flexible memory creep into the work.

In 2019 her work was shown at Betts project, London, May 22-27th  at an exhibition hosted by the Sailmakers Collective.

in 2020 Tara was part of a two person show (alongside Martina O'shea) at 'Pages of Hackney'.  Pulled landscape  explores landscape through a series of abstractions. The photographic process is one which is quite instantaneous, and both artists use photography in a different way which is process driven. 

For each piece of work that sold, 30% is donated to Tree Council Charity (www.treecouncil.org.uk) which is enough to plant and care for a tree until it’s big enough to survive on its own. 

In 2021. Tara was part of an mixed media exhibition A Glimpse of Kink, June 2021, at the Bateman Gallery of London. Showcasing portraits of Syn Ariad, mistress, fetish muse and artist: An  immersive dialogue between art, life, and lifestyles - In times of censorship affecting art, sexuality and the production of radical content, the event sought out to be an occasion to fight cultural stereotypes and stigmas whilst bringing the community together.



She is currently working on several new series;

I am a rock - A collection stones and rocks that she has been collecting (worldwide) for the last 40 years. These all come with their own story - some fact, some fiction.  They have all been photographed, and a selection of them are represented though oil paintings.

Ode from a Nemophilist - Photo etchings and paintings  of tree abstractions and the energy they exude. An energy loop is created between the camera, the body and the tree.  Once equilibrium is found, a slow exposure photograph is taken - the main body of this work Is taken at the location of the Earth's 7 Planetary Chakras, as well as Ley Lines in between.  These Images are currently at the 'Utopia' show at the Mile End Pavilion, part of the ECOfeminism festival (7th -17th Oct 2021).

Our brain is so presumptuous -  She has started exploring the idea that one's brain fills in the gaps. A series of incomplete paintings and sculptures.

And lastly,  Cross-pollination: Reflecting on Migration and Belonging in Margate, an ongoing project by Tara which started in 2024 - Combining black-and-white photography with interviews to explore themes of home, identity, and e/immigration, in Thanet, particularly Margate. Through a queer ecological lens, Tara emphasises the interconnectedness of humans, nature, and memory, highlighting how land holds the traces of migration. Tara’s practice blends photography with sewing, collage, and alternative printing methods, using plant-based materials to reduce her environmental impact. 

(Thank you, Arts Council, for the DCP funding)

Clients & Collaborators




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