Lily Li's 'Northbound' Uses Watercolour to Depict Immigration's Bleak Reality

Lily Li, a Beijing-born, New York-based illustrator, has created a new mixed-media series titled 'Northbound' that explores the illusions of freedom and the persistence of systemic struggle in immigration. The project follows a young woman working in a border city restaurant, confronting the realization that escape does not dismantle oppressive systems but rather reveals how deeply they have shaped the individual. Li uses fibre gesso on wood to create a cold, paper-like texture, applying watercolour 'like snow' to evoke ephemeral, ghostly moods. Her influences include independent filmmakers Hu Bo, Diao Yinan, and the Coen brothers, whose focus on marginalized individuals quietly struggling for survival resonates in Li's work. The illustrations feature characters with faces obscured by scratchy blue blocks or curled up in suitcases, using comic book conventions as oppressive narrative tools. Li's own immigrant experience between Beijing and New York informs the project, which began with loose sketches and written notes to set emotional tone. The series was published on It's Nice That on June 10, 2025, and is featured on Li's Instagram and Figma.