Shao Fan on Zen, Repetition, and the Art of Making the Self Smaller

Shao Fan (also known as Yu Han) discusses his exhibition 'Refrain / Futa' at White Cube Mason's Yard (22 May – 27 June 2026) in an interview with Huang Yichun. The artist explains his meditative painting process, which involves repeated layering of lines—a technique he calls 'futa' or 'refrain'—that evokes the patience of an ancient jade artisan. He describes how painting rabbits, old apes, and other motifs allows him to create a state where the work itself comes forward while the artist recedes. Shao Fan removes eyes from his rabbit paintings to diffuse the gaze, making the whole body seem to look at the viewer. He draws inspiration from Buddhist and Daoist thought, particularly the Zhuangzi and the I Ching, and has created works based on hexagrams such as 'Water and Fire' (Hexagram 63, After Completion). The artist emphasizes that intuition precedes rationality in creation, and that art is ultimately about experiencing life itself. He critiques contemporary art's focus on concept over form, advocating for restraint and tension as key qualities of Chinese art. The exhibition includes ink-on-rice-paper works like 'In the Name of the Rabbit 0322' (2022), 'Chinese Cabbage 1425' (2025), and 'Ushnisha 1124' (2024).