Benjamin Li

🤔 What’s behind “number 39”? It began as a throwaway joke on Dutch TV. Artist Benjamin Li decided to find out more. 🍜 He visited over 1,000 Chinese-Indonesian restaurants, documenting every dish with the number 39 on the menu. 🍽️ The result is Forty Nr. 39: Loempia, tjap tjoy, babi pangang. Each plate tells a story of migration. #FenixRotterdam #FortyNr39 #MigrationStories #BenjaminLi

The Chin. Ind. Rest. Stickeralbum is selected for the Best Dutch Book Design 2024! 🥳💨 This achievement wasn’t possible without the great work by Ka-Tjun (@katjunhau ), Kexin (@kexin_hao ), Xiaoyuan (@sdfggvfvj ), Marie (@marie.mdna ), Renske (@legalsightseeing ), Yen-Ting (@kyenting ), Junhao (@zeonhoxiang ), Tyler (@profdaydreamer ) and Lianne (@lianne.ys ). Thank you so much❤️❤️❤️💨 I’m super proud that a dream to make a fun publication where serious content, collection, stickering and a website became reality. The book is made possible with the generous help of the crowd, Mondriaanfonds, Jaap Harten Fonds, Gemeente Rotterdam, Cultuurfonds and is 100% self-publised! 👌💨

Out now and available! Stuur me een DM als je interesse hebt 🙂 ============ Ontzettend veel dank aan het team: Ka-Tjun (onderzoek en concept @katjunhau ) Kexin (boekdesign @kexin_hao ) Renske (editor @legalsightseeing ) Xiaoyuan & Marie (webdesign @marie.mdna @sdfggvfvj ) Yenting (vertaling @kyenting ) Junhao (ondersteuning @zeonhoxiang ) Tyler (ondersteuning @profdaydreamer ) Lianne (ondersteuning @lianne.ys ) ❤❤❤💨

Voor de @warmoesbiennale maakte ik 3 zeefdrukken voor elke locatie van @sichuanamsterdam 🐉💨 BILLY LI BAR x SICHUAN RESTAURANT❤️ De zeefdrukken zijn ondertekend door het personeel en vastgelegd op film. Locatie Lange Niezel 24. Ga erheen, heerlijk eten!❤️ Dank aan @jelmerwijnstroom @roisindouglas @bombertje en @rijksakademie voor de support ❤️ Afmeting 32x46 cm, Canson Montval 300 gr., tweelaags (goud en scarlet red), grafiet.

Benjamin Li & Sichuan Restaurant 📍Tijdens de Warmoes Biënnale (7 maart – 3 mei) vertoont @10000bl_ werk in drie verschillende @sichuanamsterdam restaurants, verspreid over het Wallen gebied in Amsterdam. Benjamin Li heeft drie zeefdrukken speciaal voor Sichuan Amsterdam gemaakt. De werken zijn gebaseerd op zijn persoonlijke archief van suikerzakjes uit Chinese restaurants. Op drie Sichuan- locaties zijn de werken te zien: Lange Niezel 24, Warmoesstraat 17 en Zeedijk 103. De zeefdrukken zijn gesigneerd door het restaurantpersoneel en dit is vastgelegd op film. Hierdoor worden de restaurants en de mensen die daar werken onderdeel van Benjamins archief. Het werk dat hij tijdens de Warmoes Biënnale laat zien is onderdeel van zijn praktijk, waarin Chinese restaurants in Nederland centraal staan. Het kunstwerk is gerealiseerd in samenwerking met de Rijksakademie van beeldende kunsten waar hij van 2022 tot 2024 resident was. Andere @rijksakademie alumni die werk tonen tijdens de biënnale zijn Elspeth Diederix, Folkert de Jong en Marijke van Warmerdam.  @bonnesuits @gemeenteamsterdam @mondriaanfonds @cultuurfonds @afk020 +++ Benjamin Li & Sichuan Restaurant 📍During the Warmoes Biennale (7 March – 3 May), @10000bl_ shows work at three different @sichuanamsterdam restaurants spread throughout the Red Light District in Amsterdam. Benjamin Li has created three screen prints specifically for Sichuan Amsterdam. The works are based on his personal archive of sugar packets from Chinese restaurants. The works are on display at three Sichuan locations: Lange Niezel 24, Warmoesstraat 17, and Zeedijk 103. The screen prints are signed by the restaurant staff and photographed. This makes the restaurants and the people who work there part of Benjamin’s archive. The work he is showing during the Warmoes Biennale is part of his practice, which focuses on Chinese restaurants in the Netherlands. The artwork was created in collaboration with the Rijksakademie van beeldende kunsten, where he was a resident from 2022 to 2024. Other @rijksakademie alumni exhibiting work during the Biennale are Elspeth Diederix, Folkert de Jong and Marijke van Warmerdam.

The first Artist We Love (AWL) show on Artsy; Angel-Rose Oedit Doebé and Benjamin Li. Since recently, Lakoi is active on Artsy, creating curated showrooms and viewing rooms. With Artist We Love (AWL) we introduce artists whose work we genuinely believe in. The first AWL edition brings together works by Angel-Rose Oedit Doebé and Benjamin Li. Two practices using archives, pop culture and everyday imagery to reflect on identity, heritage and cultural memory. From Oedit Doebé’s Untitled works, to Li’s puzzle works where missing pieces mark time, absence and personal history.

𓇢 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐩 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐮𝐦 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐭 / 𝐌𝐢𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐞𝐧𝐮 – 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐤 𝐛𝐲 𝐁𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐧 𝐋𝐢 & 𝐒𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐫𝐢𝐭 𝐊𝐮𝐥𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐰𝐨𝐧𝐠, 𝐦𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐪𝐮𝐞 𝐇𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐬 eng - On November 17, studium resort hosted a conversation with Benjamin Li, Sankrit Kulmanochawong and Manique Hendricks. Benjamin spoke about his extensive collection of Chinese restaurants in the Netherlands - including menus, dishes, and personal stories - and how these narratives reveal a quiet yet significant cultural history. Sankrit responded from the kitchen rather than the archive, discussing intuition, cultural hybridity, and how the simple act of cooking can help navigate multiple identities. Manique Hendricks posed questions about intergenerational memory, institutional critique, and how people relate to one another. The evening showed that Chinese and Asian identities in the Netherlands are constantly evolving, shaped by cooking, remembering, and reinterpreting traditions. 𝘯𝘦𝘹𝘵 𝘶𝘱 December 15 - But, why? roasting outside comfort zones - 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝗰 𝟱! nl - Op 17 november organiseerde studium resort een gesprek met Benjamin Li, Sankrit Kulmanochawong en Manique Hendricks. Benjamin sprak over zijn uitgebreide verzameling Chinese restaurants in Nederland - inclusief menu’s, gerechten en persoonlijke verhalen - en de verhalen die een stille maar belangrijke culturele geschiedenis zichtbaar maken. Sankrit reageerde vanuit de keuken in plaats van het archief. Hij vertelde over intuïtie, het mixen van culturen en hoe simpel koken kan helpen om je weg te vinden tussen verschillende identiteiten. Manique Hendricks stelde vragen over herinneringen tussen generaties, kritiek op instellingen en hoe mensen zich tot elkaar verhouden. De avond liet zien dat Chinese en Aziatische identiteiten in Nederland voortdurend veranderen, gevormd door koken, herinneren en het opnieuw interpreteren van tradities. 𝘣𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘯𝘬𝘰𝘳𝘵 > 15 december - But, why? roasten buiten je comfortzone - 𝗺𝗲𝗹𝗱 𝗷𝗲 𝗮𝗮𝗻 𝘃𝗼𝗼𝗿 𝟱 𝗱𝗲𝗰! text: @klaudijaylaite photo’s: @juliaodenkirchen

Billy Li Bar Kalender 2026 (NIEUW!) 10 euro (+ evt verzendkosten) Beperkte oplage Wil je een kalender? Stuur me een DM 🫶 Speciaal gemaakt voor de tentoonstelling De Collectie Verzet in het Missiemuseum Steyl. Te bezichtigen tot en met 1 maart 2026! In het @missiemuseumsteyl plaatste ik een nieuwe versie van de Billy Li Bar en combineerde ik mijn verzameling objecten van Chinees-Indische restaurants met de China-collectie van het Missiemuseum.

𝐍𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐌𝐁𝐄𝐑 𝟏𝟕 𓇢 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐮𝐦 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐌𝐢𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐞𝐧𝐮 – 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐤 𝐛𝐲 𝐁𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐧 𝐋𝐢, 𝐦𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐪𝐮𝐞 𝐇𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐠𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐒𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐫𝐢𝐭 𝐊𝐮𝐥𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐰𝐨𝐧𝐠 (𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐖𝐊 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐤𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐧) 𝘯𝘭 - 𝘻𝘪𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒎 19:00 doors open 19:15 start 21:00 end 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏𝒕 Migration on the Menu is an evening of conversation and exchange, led by art historian and curator Manique Hendriks, with artists Benjamin Li and Sankrit Kulmanochawong. Together, they explore how food connects people and cultures. In their work, Li and Kulmanochawong approach food as a way to tell stories about identity and memory, showing how these stories can create space for tangible change. From Chinese restaurants in the Netherlands to reimagined dishes like stamppot infused with Thai ingredients, their stories reveal how recipes become pathways between personal histories and shared cultural spaces. Join us for an evening where stories simmer and cultures and flavors come together. 𝒊𝒏𝒇𝒐 location: Nieuwe Sint Jansstraat 35, Groningen entry & drinks: free language: English accessibility: wheelchair friendly + listen to @mistermotleymagazine ’s Kunst is Lang w/ Li from last week 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 Benjamin Li is a conceptual artist based in Rotterdam. His work explores themes such as identity, representation, displacement, everyday life, food cultures, and the sense of home. Since 2014, he has been visiting Chinese-Indonesian restaurants across the Netherlands to build an archive of menus, tableware, stories, and photographs of over 200 unique dishes. Sankrit Kulmanochawong is an interdisciplinary artist and designer from Bangkok, currently based in Amsterdam. His work examines how migration, memory, and the movement of people and objects shape our sense of identity and belonging. Manique Hendricks (1992) is an art historian and contemporary art curator at the Frans Hals Museum. Her curatorial work focuses on themes such as identity, club culture, and underrepresented narratives within contemporary discourse. @maniquehendricks @10000bl_ @0attly

Geroosterd Spek (2024) 1000 🧩 48 x 64 cm

Een foto uit 2023 toen ik nog een studio had op de Rijksakademie. Foto door @saffronpape in opdracht van @youngcollectorscircle Messy studio, contouren van de tweede Billy Li Bar later in het jaar. What a ride! ❤️❤️❤️

We’re happy to announce that Benjamin Li (@10000bl_ ) has been selected as one of FOTODOK’s nominees for FUTURES (@futuresphotography ) 2025. Benjamin is a Rotterdam-based conceptual artist whose practice explores themes of identity, belonging, displacement, and the everyday—often through the lens of food and memory. His long-running project “In Search of Perfect Orange” forms the heart of his work: a decade-long archive dedicated to the Chinese-Indonesian restaurant in the Netherlands. Since 2014, Benjamin has visited over 1,200 Chinese-Indonesian restaurants across the country. Along the way, he’s collected thousands of objects—menus, tableware, postcards, sugar packets—as well as photographs of more than 250 unique dishes. These items form the foundation for new works that span video, print, sculpture, and everyday design products, such as mugs and calendars. In 2022, he also founded the “Billy Li Bar”, a creative space and artist bar named after the iconic IKEA bookshelves. The project is deeply personal. Many of Benjamin’s family members—including his parents—have worked in Chinese-Indonesian restaurants as a way to build new lives in the Netherlands. Where the restaurant is sometimes mocked or stereotyped, Benjamin sees it as a place of resilience, care, and creativity. His work invites a reconsideration of its cultural value. In 2024, Benjamin self-published “Chin. Ind. Rest. Stickeralbum”, an interactive homage to his family and the broader Chinese restaurant community in the Netherlands. Combining archival family photographs, vivid images of dishes, and a collection of 88 stickers, the album offers an accessible and playful way to engage with the unique heritage of these spaces. “In Search of Perfect Orange” continues to evolve as both a personal and cultural archive—one that reflects Benjamin’s journey as a bi-cultural artist navigating Dutch society and the art world. FUTURES is co-funded by the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union (@creative.eu ). #FOTODOK #FUTURES2025 #VisualStorytelling #Photography