Meet Li Mengwen: China PR's football artist

• Li is just as passionate about art as football

• Decorates her teammates boots with her designs

• Talks art, drawing and beauty

There’s something about football that lends the sport to metaphor; the game as a battle, matches as war and creative players as artists.

Li Mengwen is one of the rare cases where metaphor meets reality.

On the pitch, China PR's dynamic full-back is equally at home in defence or attack where she’s a constant source of danger down the right flank; off the pitch she’s just as comfortable with a pencil or paintbrush in her hands as she is with a ball at her feet.

The 28-year-old defender is a rarity in her nation as one of the few footballers to have ventured abroad. She also rarity more generally as a player whose creative talents on the pitch are matched by her artistic ambitions off it, as she tells FIFA.

“From a young age, I always wanted to be an artist. Painting represents my need for tranquility and reflection. Art, drawing and beauty.

“I don't think this only applies to professional athletes, but rather for any person or individual, but it’s important to appreciate beauty and find goodness in life.

“Art has given me a new perspective on life, on things and on people.”

For a player who, until last month, was on the books of European giants PSG, the French capital was the ideal setting to explore her passions on the pitch and off it. Li admits that after the move to Europe she didn’t have quite as much time to draw, sketch and paint, but she still tries to squeeze in sessions in front of the pad or easel as often as she can.

“I loved painting when I was a child but perhaps I missed my opportunity to do it. If I'd have pursued painting back then, maybe I wouldn't have discovered football.

“Nevertheless, I still have a passion for painting and still do it as a hobby. Painting is calming, whereas football is intense and passionate.”

Born and raised in one of China’s most scenic cities, Suzhou, just to the west of Shanghai, painting is not just a solitary pursuit for Li but also something that she can share with her team-mates.

She has become well-known at both club and national level for taking her paintbrush to her team-mates’ boots, with some creative designs arising from those sessions.

“One of my teammates loves Rick and Morty and Justin Bieber, so I painted a design on the shoes based on Bieber's album Yummy," she said. "She loves them! I gave her the shoes as a birthday gift. I've designed my own sneakers as well, but they are almost worn out.”

Far from being worn out, China’s hopes at the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ are still well and truly alive after they fought back from going a woman down in the first half to win 1-0 against Haiti.

A first-up defeat against Denmark though means China will need a point, at a bare minimum, against the might of England in Adelaide on Tuesday – and once again Li’s presence at right-back will be key to any Chinese success.

Playing just ahead of Li in right midfield in that win over Haiti was Yao Lingwei and, remarkably, that’s a partnership that is flourishing not just on the pitch but also off it, with Li taking her younger team-mate under her artistic wing.

“Drawing has captured my attention; it allows me to be in a calm and peaceful state of mind when I’m under pressure and feeling tense. So, I believe drawing has been helpful for my football career by helping me to find inner peace.

“As an individual, I need time to myself but as a member of the squad, I need to spend time with my team-mates and coaches.

“So, when I'm painting, I'm taking some time for myself and I enjoy it but when I'm playing football, I like the happiness that comes from being with friends.

“One of those is Yao Lingwei. We're very close and she started drawing with me as well and now we can feel a great sense of achievement once we've finished a piece.”

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