born in 1969 in Inner Mongolia

Exhibitions

2005 

"Splendid-----Songzhuang 10 years Invitation Exhibition, Beijing"
2006 

"Songzhuang Oil Paintings Exhibition, Beijing"
2007 

"Shaluo Oil Paintings Invitation Exhibition , Beijing"
"New Works Exhibition of Songzhuang Artists, Beijing"
"Song Zhuang Contemporary Art Itinerate Exhibition, Beijing"
2008 

City Syndrome - Contemporary Chinese Art Group
Assembling under the Five Rings-Chinese Contemporary Art Exhibition in The Legend
Art Beijing 2008 - National Agriculture Exhibition Center
"Limited Distance" Contemporary Art Exhibition- LDX Contemporary Art Center,Beijing
2009 

CIGE 2009
ART Beijing 2009 , National Agriculture Exhibition Center
Attitude-Contemporary Art Exhibitionntain- LDX Contemporary Art Center,Beijing

Comment

Xu Hui’s Paintings Makes Viewer’s Eyes Sparkle

by Mao Xiaolang

Xu Hui’s paintings are obvious. His paintings are rich, powerful and fresh.

Xu Hui’s paintings are similar to his life which is zigzag and full of ups and downs. His experience has fostered his great passion, sensitivity and thoughtfulness. This is people’s impression of him. It is impossible for such a person not to paint, or not to paint well.

Xu Hui sees everything in the world as similar to growth of plants in nature. In his view, man is part of nature, and growth of man and plants are essentially the same. The foundations for man and nature to grow have been damaged. Loosened at the roots, it is impossible to grow straight. So it can only grow in a distorted way. What matters is to grow, never mind whether it will grow into shape. Even if life will inevitably shrink in the end, it will first get into the open and make some sound, so as to be worthwhile. So in this process of coming and growing, he sees and feels things, which often makes him restless. But he has to translate these obscure and unspoken things into visual images, because only visual images are direct, thorough and fit to his nature. He needs to express himself with visual tools as much as possible. As a result, all kinds of odd things appear in his paintings. Then his eyes sparkle. That’s it! But this is not enough. He seems to regard himself as a good artist – Why not an artist? He also wants to bring a sparkle into viewer’s eyes. Feeling good about himself has led him to try to manipulate his painting – obviously he was not formally trained. But he has to try those “professional stuff” such as structure and colors.

He is sober about this. Art has its special rules. Though it gives you a headache, you have to think about it. After all, according to his experience, it is not easy to bring a sparkle into everybody’s eyes in the art community where there are so many talented artists. Also he gradually finds this self-training enjoyable and interesting. With honesty and confidence, he continues to test and adjust his painting, remove and add things boldly, and turn what is nothing into art, or something artistic. From the zigzag lines and colorful dot-and-dash, we can see the footprints on his growth path, and see how nature and destiny have led him into thinking aesthetically, and his subsequent emotional fluctuations and changes, and so on. In the meantime, we can also see to what extent his artistic intellectual and self-control abilities have been trained. All his paintings, such as Big Children’s Ballads, Love Declaration, Dragon Metaphor, Magnificent Heart, Man’s Landscape, and so on, are full of magic zigzag lines. The zigzag lines are the most prominent part of his painting and driving all other objects, colors and imagines. Sophisticated and solid detailed layout is framed by simple contour outlines, forming a whole field of visual extension and interaction. These lines are moving about, under the prerequisite of igniting hope and overcoming innumerable obstacles, in the hazy fields of intertwining man and the world, and at the half-drunk, half-sober moments in mood sheltered from conflicts. Spiritually, it reflects a person’s flexibility and strength of mind. His whole painting gives a contradictory visual impact that simultaneously engulfs and includes everything.

Sure someone may ask: when you enter Xu Hui’s studio for the first time, would your eyes sparkle? An answer is really not necessary. There are his paintings next to my small article. Just look.

Xu Hui also claims that he will dig out everything in his mind. He has a simple reason: to be unimpeded and free internally and externally. Good artists all have such an ambition. It is easier said than done. Perhaps Xu Hui has enough talent to say so, and it takes guts to say so. And we surely have time to test and verify it. The question is how far his talent could tempt him. It is a mystery.

One point is clear: This guy Xu Hui will never part from painting. I am sure about that.