Eric Li ’18, has recently returned to Hill from his study year abroad in France.

During his time away, Li did more than just focus on academics. He gained a deeper understanding and appreciation for the arts.

At the École American de Rennes, Li took local painting classes every week and an art history class that he says was directly applied through school trips.

“I cannot count how many architecture masterpieces we had visited,” Li said. “It was very rewarding to see what we learned and be able to apply it in the real world.”

Alongside studying art in France, Li attended a six-week pre-college program at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD).

After learning about sculpture and architecture during his year abroad, Li decided he wants to major in sculpture in college.

Li says he dabbled with different mediums over the summer.

For his final project, Li created an installation with multiple large foam sculptures covered in plaster.

“I tried to capture a moment frozen in time that revealed the deeper end and soul of mankind,” Li said.

Li believes his time at RISD gave him the confidence to explore different materials and helped him to not be afraid of working on a larger scale.

Ellen Nelson, senior master of arts and Li’s art teacher at Hill, sees a change in Li as an artist and credits his transformation to his time in France.

“After he returned from his year abroad, I noticed a deepening of his commitment to the arts,” Nelson said. “His passion has grown, particularly in the area of sculpture.”

Li doesn’t plan on stopping his artistic journey anytime soon. He wishes to pursue sculpture in college, and hopes to attend RISD, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, or the Pratt Institute.

He urges aspiring artists to be creative and to take advantage of famous artists in order to further develop one’s work.