Zhi Wei's 'Folly' at Beijing Commune Layers Fabric, Paint and Medieval Fantasy
Zhi Wei's inaugural solo show, titled 'Folly', is being held at Beijing Commune from May 16 to July 11, showcasing nine new pieces. The artist employs acrylics on stretched fabric, incorporating collaged elements such as mesh, floral jacquard, and checkered gauze. Each layer both obscures and reveals images like vases and shells. Two works from the 'Shell' series (2025–) draw on medieval Western perceptions of 'Far Eastern' residences. 'Shell 001' (2025) illustrates a 'shell house' with an empty space, while 'The Cottingley Fairies' (2024–25) features a 1917 photocollage of a girl with fairies. Additionally, 'Ocarina' (2024–25) showcases a vessel flute, and 'Fashionable Contrasts' (2025) depicts calves in baroque footwear. ArtReview Asia will cover the exhibition in its Autumn 2026 edition.
Key facts
- Zhi Wei's first solo exhibition at Beijing Commune is titled 'Folly'.
- The exhibition runs from 16 May to 11 July and features nine new works.
- Zhi Wei's family runs a textile business, informing her interest in material storytelling and clothing as presentation and concealment.
- Her acrylic works on stretched fabrics combine painting, collage and fabric printing, with paint hidden between semitransparent layers.
- Materials include collaged mesh, floral jacquard and chequered gauze, often sheer and devoid of brushmarks.
- The 'Shell' series (2025–) references medieval Western imaginings of 'Far Eastern' dwellings; 'Shell 001' (2025) depicts a shell house at night with a black void and glittery mesh.
- 'The Cottingley Fairies' (2024–25) uses a 1917 photocollage printed over lace and mesh, referencing the 1920s press circulation of fairy photographs as evidence.
- 'Ocarina' (2024–25) and 'Fashionable Contrasts' (2025) incorporate sexual undertones through a contrapposto vessel flute and tangled limbs in baroque shoes.
- The review appears in the Autumn 2026 issue of ArtReview Asia.
Entities
Artists
- Zhi Wei
- Yuwen Jiang
Institutions
- Beijing Commune
- ArtReview Asia
- ArtReview
Locations
- Beijing
- China