Invasive proliferation mocks borders

2025.05.08-06.15

01 / 03

Introduction

“The Sprawler” refers to a form of life without a fixed state—it could be the silent, fungal infiltration of a mycelial network, the ever-blurring boundaries in the process of urbanization, or the nomadic cultural identities of the digital age. When such “sprawling” becomes the norm, the traditional notion of “homeland” is deconstructed into fluid fragments. “Having no homeland” does not negate a sense of belonging but rather interrogates how contemporary individuals confront the definition and relationship of boundaries in the tide of a new era. Li Xiaofei’s work explores this suspended mental imprint between reality and imagination through the study of plant migration, the interweaving of historical traces, and magical realism.

This exhibition presents a series of entirely new works created by Li Xiaofei during his first residency in Shunde. From the north to the south, as he removes his thick outerwear and walks in a T-shirt along the paths of Shunfeng Mountain, a differentiated experience permeates his entire body—from visual perception to physical sensation and inner feelings. With the shift in physical space, his previous routines are also disrupted; whether actively or passively, he lets go of mundane daily matters and even his own habitual ways of thinking. When this experience is translated into his artistic creation, we observe his transition from his prior figurative expressionist style to a more abstract form of expression.

Li Xiaofei’s working methodology is characterized by a highly logical and rigorous approach. The first phase involves a comprehensive study of the properties, origins, and mutations resulting from the transplantation of tropical plants. This research leads to deeper reflections sparked by the intrinsic characteristics of the plants themselves, which are also documented. In the second phase, he employs familiar figurative techniques to depict the plants that move him, thereby deepening his understanding of their shapes and even their personalities. When he uses plants as metaphors for people and draws parallels with human society, these plants transcend mere objective existence; instead, they become sources of form, color, and logical patterns. This marks the beginning of his third phase—the full transition into abstract expression. His approach to abstract creation is not simply about stylized refinement but emphasizes the manifestation of spiritual and conceptual dimensions.

In Li Xiaofei’s works, large blocks of color float within an unknown space. It is only from the edges that we perceive these color blocks are composed of multiple overlapping layers. These layered colors resemble fault lines within sedimentary deposits of civilization, with the protruding edges revealing deliberate brushstrokes left by the artist. These remnants resemble histories hidden within memory, with cultural genes bearing the marks of mutation generated during migration. Viewers are drawn into a reflection on the topology of memory through these irregular and free-form edges, immersing themselves in a contemplative experience about the nature of recollection and spatiality.

This north-to-south creative migration essentially serves as an experimental process of infusing the biological characteristics of the “The Sprawler” into artistic production. When the anchors of the figurative world are dissolved, those drifting color blocks become a medium that bears the collective subconscious. Perhaps we may catch a glimpse at a particular moment of the microscopic world deep within the color fields—the proliferation of contemporary people’s mental mycelium. These are both a resistance to certainty and an act of surrender to fluid migration.

Our gratitude to Boxes Art Museum for this exhibition opportunity, and to artist Li Xiaofei for his thorough documentation of the creative process. May visitors discover their own dissolving and reassembling reflections in the folds of color fields and the interstices of magical realism.

By / Yu Fei

April 27, 2024

artist

Li Xiaofei

Artist

Born in 1978 in Shandong, currently lives and works in Beijing**

Education: 2002 Graduated from Shandong University of Arts

Teaching Experience:2002-2006 Taught at the Department of Fine Arts, School of Arts, China University of Mining and Technology

Solo Exhibitions:

2013 *Lost in the World* – Li Xiaofei’s Works Exhibition | Sanmu International Art Center, Beijing

2014 *Retrospective Landscapes* – Li Xiaofei’s Works Exhibition | Today Art Museum, Beijing

2016 *Winter Woods* – Li Xiaofei’s Works Exhibition | Reality Space, Beijing

Awards:

2012 Shortlisted for the John Moores Painting Prize (China)

2013 Excellent Award, Oil Painting Academy of Chinese National Academy of Arts (Aowen Award)

2014 Bronze Award, 1st Nanjing International Art Exhibition

2014 Shortlisted for *Zhe Gui Zhi* – China Emerging Painting Prize (Did not participate)

2016 Gold Award, *Breaking Ice Era* – Contemporary Chinese Oil Painting Exhibition

2016 "Most Shining" Artist Award, Asia Youth Artists Nomination Exhibition

Selected Group Exhibitions:

2000s:

2002 *Experiment and Transcendence* – Oil Painting Exhibition | Shandong Art Museum, Jinan

2009 *City Leaders* – Beijing International Salon Art Exhibition | China World Trade Center, Beijing

2009 798 Art Festival Salon Exhibition | Bridge Gallery, Beijing

2010s:

2010 *Expanded Territories* | Shanghai 7 Art Center, Shanghai

2010 *Young Power* – Art Beijing Satellite Exhibition | Huantie Times Art Museum, Beijing

2010 1st New Star Art Festival – Outstanding Works Exhibition | Chengdu New Convention Center, Chengdu

2011 *I CAN PAY* Art Festival | Shanghai World Trade Center, Shanghai

2012 John Moores Painting Prize – Outstanding Works Exhibition | Shanghai Oil Painting & Sculpture Museum, Shanghai

2013 16th Beijing International Art Fair | Beijing Agricultural Exhibition Hall, Beijing

2013 *Skeleton Exhibition I* | Songyang Art Museum, Beijing

2014 1st Nanjing International Art Exhibition | Nanjing International Expo Center, Nanjing

2014 *Emerging Artists Special Exhibition* | Beijing Exhibition Center, Beijing

2014 *Polyphonic Poetics* | Miao You Space, Beijing

2014 *Salute to Youth* – National Young Artists Exhibition | Sunshine International Art Center, Beijing

2014 *Once a Decade* Group Exhibition | Zhangjiang Contemporary Art Museum, Shanghai

2015 *One-Day Project: Lost* – 30 Cases (Li Xiaofei) | Hive Center for Contemporary Art, Beijing

2015 1st Xiamen JFC Contemporary Art Exhibition | Xiamen

2015 *Seeking Truth* – Young Artists Exhibition II | Prosper Sky Art Museum, Beijing

2015 *Refresh* – CAFA *World Art & World Tour* Exhibition | Prosper Sky Art Museum, Beijing

2015 *Art Without Borders* | Sunshine International Art Museum, Beijing

2015 *Brave New World* – 2nd Nanjing International Art Exhibition | Nanjing International Expo Center, Nanjing

2015 *One-Day Project: Lost* – Li Xiaofei | Hive Center for Contemporary Art, Beijing

2015 *Xu Xu Dan Qing Si Jin Jiang* | Times Art Museum, Beijing

2015 *Beautiful Kunyu Mountain* – Weihai Sketch Exhibition | Weihai Civic Cultural Center, Weihai

2016 *Solidified Power* – Young Artists Exhibition III | Reality Space, Beijing

2016 *AMNUA Video Archive XII: One-Day Project – 30 Artists’ 3600 Seconds* | Nanjing University of the Arts Museum, Nanjing

2016 *Metaphysical & Physical* – Contemporary Figurative Oil Painting Exhibition | 1+1 Art Center, Beijing

2016 China-Korea Contemporary Art Exchange Exhibition | Stone Hall Art Museum, Busan, Korea

2016 *Scenery* – Artists’ Works Exhibition | Ongoing Space, Beijing

2016 *Breaking Ice Era* – Chinese Contemporary Oil Painting Exhibition | Xiamen International Conference Center, Xiamen

2016 *Breaking Ice Era* – Chinese Contemporary Oil Painting Exhibition | Yun Art Center, Shanghai

2016 *Breaking Ice Era* – Chinese Contemporary Oil Painting Exhibition | Water Cube, Beijing

2016 *Visual Consumption* – 3rd Nanjing International Art Exhibition Parallel Show | Baihu Art Museum, Nanjing

2016 *Without Purpose* – 12 Artists Group Exhibition | Dounan Art Museum, Kunming

2017 *Heiqiao Generation* | HI Art Center, Beijing

2017 *10th Anniversary Exhibition of Chinese Oil Painting Academy* | Chinese Oil Painting Academy Museum, Beijing

2018 *Daniel Richter & Li Xiaofei Studio Salon* | Dr. Huang Mei’s Private Art Salon, Beijing

2018 *Art Assembly* | Assembly Space, Beijing

2018 *Silk Road & Navigation* – China-Spain Artists Touring Exhibition | Madrid, Spain

2018 *Beyond Technique* | Peacock Studio, Alcoi, Spain

2019 *Song of Hidden Wings* – 2019 Mid-Career Oil Painters Invitational Exhibition | Huisheng Art Museum, Shanghai

2020s:

2020 *Anxious Archives* – From Burrow to Peach Blossom Spring (Phase III) | OCAT Art Center, Beijing

2020 *Mind Travel* – 2020 Mid-Career Oil Painters Invitational Exhibition | Huisheng Art Museum, Shanghai

2022 *Beijing Contemporary Art Fair 2022* | Beijing Agricultural Exhibition Hall

2022 *Creative Growth* – Award-Winning Works Exhibition, Chinese National Academy of Arts | Chinese Oil Painting Academy Museum

2022 *Era of Brilliance* – National Young Artists Exhibition | Shandong Contemporary Art Institute

2022 *5th National Teachers’ Art Exhibition* – Invited Masters Exhibition | Shandong Contemporary Watercolor & Pastel Institute

2023 *Beijing Contemporary Art Fair 2023* | Beijing Agricultural Exhibition Hall

2023 *National Sketch Masters Invitational Exhibition* | Rizhao Art Museum

2023 *Inspirations from the Sea* – Contemporary Art Sketch Exhibition | Monologue Art Museum

2023 *Taoshan·Huairou International Art Zone Open Studio Exhibition* | Beijing

2023 *Age of Acceleration* – Artists Invitational Exhibition | Muyun Society, Beijing

2024 *Rongbaozhai Young Artists Nomination Exhibition* | Rongbaozhai, Beijing

2024 *YUAN GALLERY Opening Exhibition* | Jakarta, Indonesia

Yu Fei

Curator

Art Industry Consulting Expert, Founder of YUCHENG ASSOCIATION ALLIANCE OF ART AND INDUSTRY, Curator