Fu Xiaotong：nun

 

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'NUN-5,' the latest solo exhibition by Fu Xiaotong, is presented in collaboration with Matthew Liu Fine Arts and the artist for the first time. This exhibition showcases Fu Xiaotong's recent works in paper pinhole art and sculpture. As her fifth solo exhibition since the outbreak of the pandemic in 2020, 'NUN-5' draws inspiration from themes of human calamity, memory, and truth.

 

The genesis of this series of new works can be traced back to a piece titled "Untitled" from 2015, in which the artist used a hole punch to create numerous holes of varying sizes on handmade Xuan paper. When light passed through and converged through these tiny apertures, they formed a colossal cellular structure, transforming the once opaque rice paper into something transparent. Fu Xiaotong explains, 'I've always strived to uncover the truth behind things, but the truth often reveals itself in multifaceted complexities.’

 

The generation and transformation of life energy have consistently been foundational to Fu Xiaotong's artistic practice. Her choice of materials and concepts remains highly open and speculative while also carrying strong elements of Eastern aesthetics. "NUN," the exhibition name she has adopted in recent years, originates from a chaotic life entity in ancient times, known as the "Great Earth Mother",interpreted as "nun" in modern English dictionaries, meaning "nun." The artist believes that the energy of life is governed by consciousness, which includes both the perceivable and imperceptible aspects. Through her art, she aims to explore how consciousness guides the continuous flow of energy in individuals or groups beneath societal appearances. To Fu Xiaotong, the collective consciousness of humanity is like a dark and profound black hole, where religions, philosophies, politics, and social groups converge by altering human consciousness into a massive "container" – the "life energy body." Individual consciousness is subordinated to this whole, gradually implanted into it, yet unaware. To combat this underlying "consciousness orientation," she has long used intensive "paper pinhole" creations to "empty" herself in an attempt to enter a state of undifferentiated "purity."

 

In this solo exhibition, viewers can witness abstract sun photons; two active origins enveloped in energy; flowing life forms; segmented Greek deities, with their long arms extending across the earth, pointing towards the distance; and an ambiguously gendered colossal portrait with a mysterious serpent crawling on its forehead, among other elements that establish clandestine connections between reality and history. Through paper pinholes and three-dimensional sculptures, Fu Xiaotong combines reality with primal intentions, ancient myths with beliefs, and delves deeper into this theme. The new language forms that combine portraiture with abstract forms convey a broader range of content, marking her liberation from the constraints of reality and a deeper exploration of the new beginnings of inner consciousness in contemporary art.

 

Fu Xiaotong was born in Shanxi, China, graduated from the Oil Painting Department of Tianjin Academy of Fine Arts in 2000, and completed her master's degree in Experimental Art at the Central Academy of Fine Arts in 2013. She currently lives and works in Beijing. Her recent significant solo exhibitions include 'NUN-3-2' in 2022 at Today Art Museum, Beijing; 'NUN-3-1' in 2022 at Chambers Fine Art, New York; 'NUN-2' in 2021 at Chambers Fine Art & Don Gallery, Beijing; and 'NUN-1' in 2020 at Chambers Fine Art, Beijing. Fu Xiaotong's works are held in public collections including Fidelity Art Collection, Johnson Museum of Art at Cornell University, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, White Rabbit Gallery in Australia, and Zhejiang Art Museum in China.

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