AnnLi Tico is a London based artist and a California native who works within sculpture, painting, and installation. Her work dwells on environment, location, and the emotions that are tied to the places she interacts with. These include feelings of sentimentality, remorse, loneliness, stagnation, and wonder. Her practice serves as a tool for processing changes in the locations that have been significant to her: whether that be her rapidly gentrifying Silicon Valley hometown, the natural beauty surrounding the cities of Santa Barbara and Los Angeles, and the wildfires that occurred while living there, and the ongoing immigration raids that have fragmented communities and instilled fear throughout the United States. A recurring motif in her practice is fire, playing upon the notions it conjures: destruction, inner turmoil, anger, desire, and passion. It spreads rapidly and creates change in moments, while also burning for days on end despite our best efforts to quell it. This motif relates to her work in relation to climate disaster, complicated emotions towards one’s changing relationship to home, and the overwhelming feelings brought about by political unrest.
Her practice spans multiple mediums, paying attention to craft alongside repetitive motions and details. The focus on craft allows for meditation during creation, with the time and physical effort dedicated acting as a tribute or an honoring of various locations, feelings, and moments in her life. She gravitates towards mediums and methods that feel most in tune with the subject matter being portrayed, letting the materials surprise her during the creation process, and working with the goal of shaping these materials in a way that feels familiar, inviting, and even playful towards viewers.
She graduated with degrees in Economics and Art from the University of California Santa Barbara in 2021, and is currently pursuing an MA in Sculpture at the Royal College of Art in Londo
CV:
Group Exhibitions:
2026 This Place Was Once a Playing Field, Art Hub Studios, London, UK
2026 Traceform- Bodies Under Regimes of Circulation, Biennale Internazionale Donna, Trieste, Italy
2026 Runaways, Peckham Rye Station, London, UK
2026 Under the Appeal, Royal College of Art - Hangar Gallery, London, UK
2025 Summer Salon, Art Share L.A., Los Angeles, CA
2025 Reflection/Resilience, The Los Angeles Makery, Los Angeles, CA
2024 The Art of Costume Couture, The Los Angeles Makery, Los Angeles, CA
2024 Positive Exposure, TAG Gallery, Los Angeles CA
2023 Art for Peace, Avenue 50 Studio, Los Angeles, CA
2023 Summer Salon, Art Share L.A., Los Angeles, CA
2022 Spooky Spiritual, Secret Spot DTLA, Los Angeles, CA
2022 Surreal, City Hall First Floor Gallery, Santa Clarita, CA
2022 Taking it to the Next Degree, Avenue 50 Studio, Los Angeles, CA
2022 There From Here, Art Share L.A., Los Angeles, CA
2021 UCSB 2021 Honors Exhibition, Glass Box Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA
2021 What We Have Made, UCSB Honors in Tierra De Fortuna Park, Isla Vista, CA
2020 UCSB Undergraduate Exhibition, Santa Barbara, CA
2017 Choices 2017 - Annual Santa Clara County Juried High School Exhibition, New Museum Los Gatos Art, Los Gatos CA
Installations:
2024 Jungle, Adams Square Mini Park, Glendale, CA
Solo Exhibitions:
2023 In My Room, The Main Theater Newhall, Santa Clarita, CA
Guest Speaker:
2025 Artist Talk - University of California Santa Barbara - Artist’s Futures Class
2024 Artist Talk - University of California Santa Barbara - Artist’s Futures Class
Publications:
2024 Shoutout LA - Meet AnnLi Tico
Zines:
2022 Juste Milieu Issue 15 (Fragments) pg. 26
2021 What We Have Made- UCSB Honors Art 2020-21
2021 The Catalyst Issue 23 (Spring 2021) pg. 25
2019 The Catalyst Issue 18 (Spring 2019) pg. 43, 54
Awards:
2020 Faculty Award of Distinction, University of California Santa Barbara
Committees:
2026 MA Sculpture Final Show Committee, Royal College of Art, London, UK
Education:
2025-2026 Royal College of Art, London, UK
MA in Sculpture (Ongoing)
2017-2021 University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA
BA in Art, BA in Economics
Distinction in Major (Art)
Part of the Honors Art Program, consisting of ten senior students each year
Contact: [email protected] @annli_tico
Her practice spans multiple mediums, paying attention to craft alongside repetitive motions and details. The focus on craft allows for meditation during creation, with the time and physical effort dedicated acting as a tribute or an honoring of various locations, feelings, and moments in her life. She gravitates towards mediums and methods that feel most in tune with the subject matter being portrayed, letting the materials surprise her during the creation process, and working with the goal of shaping these materials in a way that feels familiar, inviting, and even playful towards viewers.
She graduated with degrees in Economics and Art from the University of California Santa Barbara in 2021, and is currently pursuing an MA in Sculpture at the Royal College of Art in Londo
CV:
Group Exhibitions:
2026 This Place Was Once a Playing Field, Art Hub Studios, London, UK
2026 Traceform- Bodies Under Regimes of Circulation, Biennale Internazionale Donna, Trieste, Italy
2026 Runaways, Peckham Rye Station, London, UK
2026 Under the Appeal, Royal College of Art - Hangar Gallery, London, UK
2025 Summer Salon, Art Share L.A., Los Angeles, CA
2025 Reflection/Resilience, The Los Angeles Makery, Los Angeles, CA
2024 The Art of Costume Couture, The Los Angeles Makery, Los Angeles, CA
2024 Positive Exposure, TAG Gallery, Los Angeles CA
2023 Art for Peace, Avenue 50 Studio, Los Angeles, CA
2023 Summer Salon, Art Share L.A., Los Angeles, CA
2022 Spooky Spiritual, Secret Spot DTLA, Los Angeles, CA
2022 Surreal, City Hall First Floor Gallery, Santa Clarita, CA
2022 Taking it to the Next Degree, Avenue 50 Studio, Los Angeles, CA
2022 There From Here, Art Share L.A., Los Angeles, CA
2021 UCSB 2021 Honors Exhibition, Glass Box Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA
2021 What We Have Made, UCSB Honors in Tierra De Fortuna Park, Isla Vista, CA
2020 UCSB Undergraduate Exhibition, Santa Barbara, CA
2017 Choices 2017 - Annual Santa Clara County Juried High School Exhibition, New Museum Los Gatos Art, Los Gatos CA
Installations:
2024 Jungle, Adams Square Mini Park, Glendale, CA
Solo Exhibitions:
2023 In My Room, The Main Theater Newhall, Santa Clarita, CA
Guest Speaker:
2025 Artist Talk - University of California Santa Barbara - Artist’s Futures Class
2024 Artist Talk - University of California Santa Barbara - Artist’s Futures Class
Publications:
2024 Shoutout LA - Meet AnnLi Tico
Zines:
2022 Juste Milieu Issue 15 (Fragments) pg. 26
2021 What We Have Made- UCSB Honors Art 2020-21
2021 The Catalyst Issue 23 (Spring 2021) pg. 25
2019 The Catalyst Issue 18 (Spring 2019) pg. 43, 54
Awards:
2020 Faculty Award of Distinction, University of California Santa Barbara
Committees:
2026 MA Sculpture Final Show Committee, Royal College of Art, London, UK
Education:
2025-2026 Royal College of Art, London, UK
MA in Sculpture (Ongoing)
2017-2021 University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA
BA in Art, BA in Economics
Distinction in Major (Art)
Part of the Honors Art Program, consisting of ten senior students each year
Contact: [email protected] @annli_tico