XIAO HUI WANG

THE EROS OF FLOWERS

Wang Xiaohui's most renowned and commercially successful works are her pieces about flowers. This series of works has been collected by famous collectors and institutions both domestically and internationally, including the British Red House Foundation, HSBC, German insurance companies, Montblanc, the Langen Foundation, and others. She has held solo exhibitions on the theme of flowers in the UK, the US, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, France, Austria, and in mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.

She was invited to hold two large-scale flower-themed exhibitions in Shanghai. One was in 2003, when the Shanghai Art Museum invited her to hold the "Spirit of Flowers" video art exhibition in a 1200-square-meter space. A large-scale video installation occupying 600 square meters was created using 5000 fresh lotus pods and video projections, which was spectacular and attracted a large number of visitors, setting a record for the number of visitors to a solo exhibition at the Shanghai Art Museum at that time.

Twelve years later, the Himalayas Center invited her to hold the "Flowers Are Not Flowers: A Dialogue Across Time and Space" art exhibition in its 2000-square-meter Wuji Hall. She used ten different materials to express the theme of flowers, and the exhibition was once again a sensation.

Shanghai Literature and Art Publishing House published her art book "The Enchantment of Flowers," Shanghai Ancient Books Publishing House published "The Spirit of Flowers," and Himalayas Publishing House published "Flowers Are Not Flowers." The multinational publisher Prestel, based in the UK, USA, and Germany, simultaneously published her art book "The Nature of Flowers" in all three countries.

10,000 DREAMS

This is one of the most unique works in Wang Xiaohui's photographic portfolio. During the 2010 Shanghai World Expo, Wang Xiaohui created a large-scale performance art project called the "2010 Dream Project." She mobilized 10,000 young people to participate, each drawing their own dream on a small model car she provided. She then used these 10,000 individual dreams as elements to create five large-scale photographic works titled "DREAM." This is a collaborative work between Wang Xiaohui and 10,000 young people. When the work was exhibited during the World Expo, magnifying glasses were provided next to the artwork, allowing people to view the details of the piece.

SHANGHAI GARDEN

The full title of this series of works is "Women's Shanghai Garden," and it is a very special collection. This represents a unique creative endeavor and exhibition by Wang Xiaohui.

The home of the French gallery owner who represents Wang Xiaohui's work is a small building in Shanghai's famous Shangfang Garden. Shangfang Garden is renowned because each building within it has a unique style, all being works left behind by foreign architects from the last century. This particular building was renovated with interior design by Michael Graves, a leading figure of the American "Gray School" of architecture. When Wang Xiaohui first entered, she felt as if she had arrived in a paradise, a stark contrast to the bustling city life outside, and this inspired her creatively.

Wang Xiaohui brought her models to this small building; these women seemed to live in this house, and the scenes she captured, along with the models' images, seemed to transport people back to Shanghai's glamorous era. Yet, they also appeared to be living in an environment that was both real and surreal.

Wang Xiaohui held an exhibition in this building, with all the works distributed throughout the various spaces. Most of the pieces were not hung on the walls, but placed within the scenes where they were photographed. The works blended seamlessly with the real-life settings, making it difficult for viewers to distinguish between the artwork and reality, as if they had entered a special realm created by the artist. Furthermore, the works incorporated many symbolic elements of Chinese culture, offering numerous stories to be told, which is why they are highly sought after by collectors. The works, after post-production, have a painterly effect, both in terms of color and brushstrokes, to the point that they were mistakenly identified as oil paintings by the auctioneer at an auction.

XIAO HUI WANG

b. 1957, Tianjin, China

Ms. Xiao Hui Wang is an interdisciplinary artist and professor at Shanghai Tongji University who lives and works between Shanghai and Munich. Trained initially in architecture and interior design, she began her career as a photographer before expanding, over the past two decades, into a wide-ranging interdisciplinary practice that includes photography, video, sculpture, performance, new media, design, and writing. Her photographic work has been widely recognized internationally and is included in Masterpieces of Photography since 150 Years (Prestel), where she is the only Chinese artist represented among 62 photographers.

Wang has held dozens of solo exhibitions worldwide, with works collected by major international institutions and private collectors. She is regarded as a pioneer of interdisciplinary and crossover art in China, a contribution recognized through major projects such as 10,000 Dreams, a large-scale performance realized with 10,000 young participants at the World Expo. She has received numerous honors, including the China Art Power List Crossover Art Award, and her book No Boundaries remains China’s only monograph dedicated to crossover art. She has also published more than 50 books and albums internationally, most notably her autobiography My Visual Diary, which has won three literary awards, been reprinted over 50 times, and remained a bestseller for two decades.

As the founder of the Tongji International Media Art Center—the first new media art research institute in a Chinese university—Wang has led influential large-scale media art projects for cities and international events, including World Expo installations, urban light shows, and large-scale 3D performances. She is deeply engaged in international cultural exchange, serving as a cultural ambassador between China and Germany and receiving the German–China Friendship Award. Her collaborations span leading cultural institutions and global luxury and industrial brands, and she has held prominent roles on international committees and juries. Through both her art and publications, Wang has become a widely recognized cultural figure, particularly admired by younger audiences, with My Visual Diary playing a key role in shaping her public influence.