SHI Xiang Debuts 'Pinecone' Solo Exhibition at REFLEXION, Beijing
The inaugural solo exhibition titled 'Pinecone' by artist SHI Xiang will be held at REFLEXION in Beijing, commencing on September 5, 2026. This exhibition showcases a series focused on the pinecone, which Shi has been developing since 2023. Initial works feature the object with distinct outlines, while subsequent pieces transition to softer forms and more fluid brushwork. Shi addresses the theme of habitual inertia, resulting in dense black shapes and a smooth 'tower' structure that appears to rotate, evolving into abstraction. This evolution connects natural and artistic experiences, giving the pinecone a fresh interpretation. Shi, born in 1987 in Tieling, Liaoning Province, completed his degree at Hubei Academy of Fine Arts in 2010 and obtained a Master's from the Central Academy of Fine Arts in 2016.
Key facts
- REFLEXION in Beijing presents 'Pinecone,' SHI Xiang's first solo exhibition at the gallery, opening September 5, 2026.
- Since 2023, Shi Xiang has worked exclusively on the pinecone theme, painting it continuously for three years.
- Early canvases show a recognizable, concrete pinecone; later works feature softened contours, freer brushwork, and lines breaking from the shape.
- The artist's repetitive process involves overcoming habitual inertia to rediscover surprise in the object, described as an ascetic struggle.
- Later paintings become almost illegible, with dense black masses, subtle traces, a smooth 'tower' structure, and a spinning, abstract form.
- The object's disappearance yields a 'force' expressed externally as material intensity (graphite traces, rubbed paper) and internally as a generative mechanism.
- SHI Xiang was born in 1987 in Tieling, Liaoning Province; he graduated from Hubei Academy of Fine Arts in 2010 and the Central Academy of Fine Arts in 2016.
- His practice continues Chinese artists' engagement with still life, dissolving color to explore shape, volume, and essence via simple materials.
Entities
Artists
- SHI Xiang
Institutions
- REFLEXION
- Hubei Academy of Fine Arts
- Central Academy of Fine Arts
Locations
- Beijing
- China
- Tieling
- Liaoning Province