Biography

  • Xue Song (1965-)

    Xue Song was born in Anhui, China in 1965, and graduated from the Stage Design Department of the Shanghai Theater Academy in 1988. Over nearly four decades, he has bridged East and West, historical memory and contemporary reality, traditional culture and contemporary viewpoints. He is recognized as one of the key figures in Chinese Pop Art.  In 1991, a studio fire inspired Xue Song’s signature “burning” and “collage” techniques. Using flames and ashes as medium, he reconstructs printed fragments into new visual narratives, exploring themes such as Global Pop, Local Pop, Metropolis, New Landscape, Dialogue between the East and West, Text and Calligraphy. Since 2019, Xue Song has drawn from Daoist philosophy to create “The Dao from Nature” series. These works abandon cultural and historical symbols, embracing nature’s imagery to pursue pure artistic freedom. 

  • 1965
    Xue Song's 100-day birthday photo

    1965

    Xue Song was born in Dangshan, Anhui, China.

     

     

  • China initiated the Reform and Opening-Up policy in 1978 and established the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone in 1980. “The Stars...

         Xue Song as a student, 1985

    China initiated the Reform and Opening-Up policy in 1978 and established the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone in 1980.

     

     “The Stars Art Exhibition” took place in the East Garden of the National Art Museum of China in Beijing in 1979, marking the beginning of Chinese contemporary art.

     

    1982

    Xue Song went to Shanghai, where he first encountered numerous original works by Western artists at the “Exhibition of 250 Years of French Painting.”

     

    American pop artist Andy Warhol visited China for the first time.

     

    1988

    Xue Song graduated from the Stage Design Department of the Shanghai Theater Academy and has since lived and worked in Shanghai.

  • 1990

    Xue Song at the scene after the fire

    1990

    A fire broke out in his studio on Changshu Road.

     

    China announced the development of Pudong, transforming it into a hotspot for international capital investment. The Shanghai Stock Exchange opened inthe same year.

     

    1991

    Another fire broke out in his studio. The two incidents inspired Xue Song’s new creative direction, with “burning” and “collage” emerging as his unique artistic techniques.

  • 1992
    Xue Song in the studio of Shanghai Opera House, 1992

                   

     

    1992

    “Local Pop” series 

    Rooted in Chinese culture and historical traditions, Xue Song started from the "local" while blending with global trends to reveal how traditional Chinese imagery can be reborn in the process of aesthetic modernization, at the same time integrating into local popular culture.
     

    The first solo exhibition “Paintings by Xue Song,” was held at the British Embassy in Beijing.

     

    The inaugural “Guangzhou Biennale” exhibited a collection of Pop Art works by Chinese artists. Art critics engaged in in-depth discussions on the concepts and phenomena of Pop Art.

  • 1993

    Xue Song with British artists Gilbert & George at the Shanghai Art Museum

    1993

    British artists Gilbert & George held solo exhibitions at the National Art Museum of China and the Shanghai Art Museum, engaging in exchanges with Chinese artists, including Xue Song.

     

    Chinese contemporary art debuted at the Venice Biennale, marking the entry of Chinese Pop Art onto the international art stage.
     

     

  • 1995 1995

    1995

    “Text and Calligraphy” series

    Xue Song is most fascinated by the abstractness in text and calligraphy. During this period, his work gradually shifted from distinctly figurative to more abstract in form, while continuing to explore the integration of Chinese and Western cultures.

     

     “Global Pop” series

    Pop culture and new consumerism surged globally. Xue Song captured these societal changes byincorporating Pop Art techniques into his works. Symbols of globalization—international brand logos, pop culture, and celebrities—became the core of his work.

     

  • 1997

                            Far Eastern Economic Review, 1997 special issue cover

    1997

    “New Landscape” series

    Turning traditional landscape into a formal framework, Xue Song  integrated such diverse elements as Western art history and urban scenery into his collages, revealing the hidden connection between landscape imagery and urbanization. His work pays homage to nature’s beauty to compensate for urban alienation, reflecting a search for inner peace and harmony.

     

    Xue Song held his first gallery solo exhibitions at Gallery Ilse Lommel in Germany and Galerie du Monde in Hong Kong.

     

    Upon Hong Kong's handover, Far Eastern Economic Review featured Xue Song's artwork Flame of Prosperity on the cover of its 1997 Hong Kong special issue.

     

    Environmental artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude visited China and engaged in discussions with Xue Song in Shanghai.

  • Xue Song traveled Around Europe in 1997

  • 1998

    “Dialogue between the East and West” series

    Through collage and montage techniques, Xue Song reinterprets classical works from Chinese and Western art history, exploring the complexities of the spiritual world of contemporary Chinese individuals.

     

  • 1999

    “Metropolis” series

    In the early 21st century, urban landscapes continued to transform, with construction sites seen everywhere as well as a massive influx of rural migrants into cities. Xue Song used his art to document the impacts of urban development and the complex and nuanced emotions of those swept up in it.

  • 2000

    Xue Song participated in group exhibition at the Art Museum of Montclair State University, New Jersey, USA, 2000

    2000

    Invited to participate in the group exhibition “Transcending Boundaries” at the Montclair Art Museum in New Jersey, USA.

     

    Participated in the group exhibition “Shanghai-2000” at Walsh Gallery in Chicago.

     

    Xue Song’s solo exhibition “Standing on the Shoulders of Giants”at ShanghART Gallery in Shanghai.

  • 2001 2001

    2001

    The M50 Art District on Moganshan Road in Shanghai was established, and Xue Song became one of the first artists to move into the area.

     

    The 798 Art District in Beijing was established.

     

    Participated in the group exhibition “Crossing Over” at Walsh Gallery in Chicago.

     

    China's entry to the World Trade Organization marked the country's further globalization.

     

     

  • 2007

    2007

    Participated in the group exhibition "Chinese Contemporary Socart" at the State Tretyakov Gallery, Russia.

     

    2008

    Xue Song’s solo exhibition “A Tale of Our Modern Time – Xue Song Solo Exhibition” at Kwai Fung Hin Art Gallery in Hong Kong.

     

    The financial crisis on Wall Street began to spread worldwide.

    The successful hosting of the Beijing Olympics elevated China's international image and influence.

     

    2011

    Solo exhibition, "Piercing Through History and the Fashion, A Retrospective from 1988-2011" organized by the Shanghai Art Museum and co-organized by Kwai Fung Hin Art Gallery.

     

  • Xue Song with His Peers on site, 2006-2011

  • 2013
         Prof. Fan Jinshi, Honorary Director of the Dunhuang Academy,
         presenting the certificate

    2013

    Solo exhibition, “Xue Song - New Shanghai School Painting”,MoCA, Singapore.

     

    Solo exhibition “The Fragment Time”, Xi'an Art Museum, Xi'an, China.

     

    The inaugural Art Basel Hong Kong and ART021 Shanghai Contemporary Art Fair opened.

     

    2014

    Appointed as a Special Research Fellow by the Dunhuang Academy.

  • 2019 2019 2019 2019

    2019

     "The Dao from Nature" series

    Born and raised in Dangshan, Xue Song was deeply influenced by the philosophy of Laozi and Zhuangzi from an early age. "The Dao from Nature" series marks his return to simplicity after experiencing the hustle and bustle of the metropolis Shanghai. Through abstract expression, it seeks spiritual transcendence by embracing the essence of nature. This series is also an attempt to integrate the three dimensions of nature: the objective nature of the physical world, the nature embedded in cultural contexts, and the digital realm—an all-encompassing parallel nature that has undeniably become an integral part of contemporary existence.

     

  • Solo exhibition, “Xue Song: Phoenix Art from the Ashes”, Long Museum (West Bund), Shanghai. 2020 Solo exhibition,“China DNA – Xue...
    Exhibition “China DNA – Xue Song 2020” , Powerlong Museum, Shanghai

    Solo exhibition, “Xue Song: Phoenix Art from the Ashes”, Long Museum (West Bund), Shanghai.

     

    2020

    Solo exhibition,“China DNA – Xue Song 2020” at Powerlong Museum, Shanghai.

     

    2022

    Solo exhibition “Trans-Figuration, Xue Song Art Exhibition” at Guangdong Museum of Art, Guangzhou.

     

  • 2023

    “Piercing through Changing Times – Dialogue with Artist Xue Song”, 27 March 2023, The Jockey Club Institute for Advanced Study, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

    2023

    Kwai Fung Hin Art Gallery announced the exclusive global representation of Xue Song.

     

    Appointed as a Senior Visiting Member of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Jockey Club Institute for Advanced Study; served as a Distinguished Professor at the School of Fine Arts, Jingdezhen Ceramic University.

     

    Kwai Fung Foundation Limited established the “Xue Song Archive” at M50 Art District in Shanghai, compiling a complete digital archive of his works.

  • 2025 2025 2025 2025 2025

    2025

    Solo exhibition, ''Xue Song: Meta-Nature'' organized by Shenzhen Museum of Contemporary Art & Urban Planning and co-organized by Kwai Fung Hin Art Gallery.

     

    Curator Jiang Jun presents lecture “Xue Song: An Artist Through 40 Years of Chinese Contemporary Art”.

     

    Dr. Cho Hyejung, College of Fine Arts, Sungshin Women's University, South Korea, presents lecture “Forged in Flame: Re-reading Xue Song within the Context of East Asian Abstract Art”.