Graduated from the Department of Fine Arts in July 1985, and became the honorary president of Xiamen Zhangxiong Painting and Calligraphy Academy. Graduated from the first postgraduate class of art education at Southwest Normal University under the National Education Commission in 1988. From 1985 to May 1995, he studied fine arts at Jimei University. He taught in the Department of Fine Arts, and from 1990 to May 1995, he served as the director and director of the Fine Arts Department of Jimei University Normal College. He joined the China Artists Association in 1989 and has been the vice chairman of the Fujian Artists Association since 1999. From 1997 to 2010, he served as a member of the Party Committee and full-time vice chairman of the Xiamen Federation of Literary and Art Circles. Joined the Chinese Calligraphers Association in 2012; successively served as: China Charity Ambassador, Chairman of Xiamen Oil Painting Society, Deputy Editor of "Artists" of Economic Daily Newspaper Group, Vice President of Beijing Celebrity Calligraphy and Painting Academy, Consultant of Fujian Young Artists Association, Xiamen Municipal Advisor to the Artists Association, editor-in-chief of Dacuo's "SPACE" art magazine, visiting professor at Xiamen University, Fuzhou University, Jimei University, and Xiamen University of Technology, and a disciple of Kueyizhai in 2004.
In addition to being collected by the National Art Museum of China, Xu Li’s works are mostly collected by foreign dignitaries and wealthy businessmen. In particular, after the oil painting "Four-Armed Avalokitesvara" was collected by the world's top consortium and the prestigious Rockefeller family, its work became a hot spot for oil painting investment and collection.