Xu Bing
A Disruptor of Language: The Life and Art of Xu Bing Xu Bing, born in Chongqing, China, in 1955, is a name synonymous with innovation and intellectual rigor within the landscape of contemporary art. His journey, deeply intertwined with the tumultuous socio-political climate of 20th and 21st century China, has led him to become one of the most internationally recognized artists emerging from the country. Growing up in Beijing as the son of a professor at Peking University, Xu’s early life was marked by both intellectual stimulation and the upheaval of the Cultural Revolution. This period, whe…
The Subject Atlas
A chart of Xu Bing's corpus mapped not by date but by subject. Spokes are what they painted; rings are when; and the threads between stars reveal the patrons and places that secretly connect them.
Spokes — Subject
Each arm of the atlas gathers works by what they depict: portraits, sacred scenes, mythologies, and the scientific studies. Click a spoke to swing that cluster to the top.
Rings — Career Period
Distance from the center marks time. The innermost ring is the earliest period; the outermost, the final years. Style matures as you move outward.
Threads — Shared Context
Coloured lines link works bound by the same patron, commission, or theme. Trace a context to watch related clusters light up across subjects.
