Qiu Xiaofei was born in 1977 in Heilongjiang, China. He graduated from the Central Academy of Fine Arts (China) in 2002. He currently lives and works in Beijing. As a representative of the new generation of Chinese artists, Qiu explores the relationship between history and personal experience through oil painting, watercolor, painting sculpture, installation, and more. His early works employed realistic techniques to capture personal memories deeply entangled with history. More recently, his work has evolved from "painting representation" to "representing painting", with a thematic shift towards exploring cultural psychology and social subconsciousness. Qiu delves into the improvisation and instability inherent in the painting process, seeking a tension-filled balance in his rich and varied imagery. Utilizing memory, fantasy, and fable, he dreamily integrates Eastern and Western aesthetics from different periods. His inspirations are manifold, drawing from various ideologies and ancient religious compositions. His often enigmatic and mysterious compositions border the line between the abstract and the figurative, crafting a unique contemporary psychological landscape within his intricate images.
Qiu’s solo exhibitions have been held at the New Century Art Foundation (Beijing), Shanghai Minsheng Art Museum (Shanghai), Beijing Commune (Beijing), Pace Gallery (New York, Hong Kong), CAFA Art Museum (Beijing), etc. Qiu's works have been exhibited at M+ Museum (Hong Kong), Kunstmuseum Bern (Bern), ZKM Museum (Karlsruhe), Tate Liverpool (Liverpool), Groninger Museum (Groninger), Castello Di Rivara Museum of Contemporary Art (Turin), Tampa Museum of Art (Tampa), Crystal Bridges Museum of Art (Bentonville), New Britain Museum of Art (New Britain), Times Art Museum (Guangzhou), Guangdong Museum of Art (Guangzhou), OCAT Art Center (Shenzhen), Long Museum (Shanghai), Yuz Museum (Shanghai), Tank Art Center (Shanghai), Golden Eagle Art Museum (Nanjing), etc. His works are collected by Long Museum, M+ Museum, New Century Art Foundation, Fosun Foundation, Yuz Museum, etc.
