Now representing Qiu Xiaofei
Xavier Hufkens is delighted to announce the representation of Chinese artist Qiu Xiaofei
Xavier Hufkens is delighted to announce the representation of Chinese artist Qiu Xiaofei. Best known for his evocatively coloured paintings, Qiu draws on both Eastern and Western aesthetics across generations, using memory, allegory, and a dream-like narrative.
Xavier Hufkens: “From the very first encounter, Xiaofei’s enigmatic paintings left a lasting impression on me. His works brilliantly combine elements of dream-like reality, the psychological and the uncanny—speaking to deeply personal yet collective sentiments. We are thrilled to welcome Xiaofei to the gallery.”
Qiu Xiaofei: “It felt like Xavier and I were old friends right from the beginning. He’s an outstanding leading gallerist, and I’ve always been impressed by his ability to combine a pioneering spirit with a classical taste. I’m looking forward to our collaboration.”
Drawing inspirations from ancient and modern thinkers, Qiu considers time to function like a spiral. Within his works, he typically incorporates multiple temporal dimensions or layers that result in an enigmatic synthesis. Foreground and background often dissolve to create a sense of infinite and non-hierarchical space. In his continuous exploration of time as such, a spiral is both the source of composition and image as well as a force that informs his style and development.
The source of Qiu’s inspirations ranges from personal childhood memories, his hometown Harbin and its geographical relationship with the Soviet Union to compositions in ancient religious art. In recent years, Qiu has started to use traditional mineral colours vastly on his canvas, resulting in an organic texture and a sense of the distant past. His dreamlike and enigmatic compositions often juxtapose abstract and representational elements, embodying the Chinese landscape painting spirit and brushstrokes on the intricate two-dimensional images.
Qiu Xiaofei (b. 1977, Harbin, China) graduated from the Central Academy of Fine Arts Beijing in 2002, and now lives and works in Beijing. His work has been featured in major exhibitions internationally, including in M+, Hong Kong (2023); Taikang Art Museum, Beijing (2023); G Museum, Nanjing (2023); UCCA Edge, Shanghai (2022); He Art Museum, Guangdong (2021); Fort Gansevoort, New York (2018); Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville (2018); Tampa Museum of Art, Florida (2014); Ullens Center for Contemporary Art, Beijing (2013); Long Museum, Shanghai (2013); The 10th Havana Biennial, Havana (2009); Tate Liverpool, Liverpool (2007); ZKM | Museum of Contemporary Art, Karlsruhe (2007); Kunstmuseum Bern, Switzerland (2005).