Alisan Fine Arts is pleased to present two solo presentations by artists Fu Xiaotong and Wang Tiande. Both artists are inspired by the Chinese landscape painting tradition, taking nature as their primary theme. Moreover, both are pioneers in material manipulation, pushing the boundaries of traditional Chinese ink and Xuan paper in contemporary art practice.
Fu Xiaotong: NUN-7
Based in Berlin, Fu Xiaotong is known for her intricate paper pinhole creations of “traditional” landscape compositions. In 2000, she graduated from the Oil Painting Department of the Tianjin Academy of Fine Arts, and in 2013, obtained a Master's degree in Experimental Art from the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing.
The title NUN has been used by Fu Xiaotong since 2020, with this exhibition marking the seventh iteration of the ongoing series. NUN (or Nu) refers to a chaotic life-force in ancient Egyptian mythology, known as the "Great Earth Mother". Often considered the oldest god, NUN is the personification of the boundless primeval waters of chaos, representing the primordial abyss from which all life and existence emerged. In both her paper works and sculptures, Fu consistently engages with the void—the spaces created by the armature of her sculpture, the holes created with each pinprick. She sees these empty areas as conduits to her subconscious, likening her practice to a form of meditation.
We will be showing a selection of recent works by the artist in which she interprets the natural world from two contrasting perspectives: from afar, in her serene, distant mountain and water-scapes, and on a microcosmic level, in her investigation of plant cells and organic tissue. In some pieces, forms appear densely aggregated, resembling cellular structures; in others, the dispersion and branching of pinholes evoke patterns of growth, division, or migration found in living systems.
137,320 Pinpricks and 145,978 Pinpricks adopt silhouettes reminiscent of church doors or arched entrances. According to the artist, these architectural forms do not function as stable religious symbols; instead, they suggest transitional spaces—thresholds between interior and exterior, matter and spirit. Here, form becomes a vessel for transformation rather than a carrier of fixed meaning.
Within Fu Xiaotong’s practice, pinpricking signifies both destruction and generation. As the paper is repeatedly perforated, it loses its original integrity while simultaneously acquiring new thickness, density, and rhythm. Light passing through the pinholes allows the works to shift according to viewing distance, angle, and time, evoking a slow, continuously evolving system.
“As tens of thousands of pinpricks accumulate, the paper gradually departs from its original calm and fragile condition, generating new forms through the interaction of void, pressure, and fiber tension. My works do not depict fixed or recognizable images; rather, they unfold as processes in constant formation.”
~ Fu Xiaotong, 2026
Wang Tiande: Beyond Reach
Wang Tiande is an innovative avant-garde ink artist known for his creative use of incense sticks as a form of brush. Born in Shanghai in 1960, he holds both a Master's degree in Chinese Painting and a Ph.D. in Calligraphy from the China Academy of Art in Hangzhou. Well-versed in traditional Chinese art and culture, Wang searches for new possibilities in the realm of ink art. His most groundbreaking practice replaces brushes with incense sticks, burning into layered rice paper and ink. This unique approach reimagines traditional landscapes and calligraphy, conveying the ephemeral nature of art.
Alisan Fine Arts is excited to present a selection of the artist’s latest works, which fuse his technique of burning incense into Xuan paper with his more recent practice of attaching older traditional artworks directly onto his compositions. This practice began several years ago—while viewing Ming-dynasty paintings in a friend’s collection, Wang considered the potential to combine authentic historical paintings and calligraphy with his own burned and painted works. An avid collector of older artwork, he began layering and attaching pieces from his collection to his own creations. The resulting works occupy a hybrid state, part historical ‘ready-made’ and part contemporary painting, presented as artifacts in pristine, black shadow-box frames.
Two large scale works anchor the exhibition; Clear and Distant Amid the Dense Forest is presented in a long, horizontal scroll. The piece is formatted from left to right, beginning with an ink rubbing on the left edge of the painting. As the viewer travels across the piece, depictions of jagged mountains recede slowly into clouds and mist. In contrast, Sheshan Resting Over Water is a tall, vertical work—not unlike the paintings of the Song Dynasty. The piece leads the eye upstream, following the mountains to a faded blue sky.
Wang’s work is ultimately rooted in addition and subtraction, blending the old and the new to create a sense of balance. He continues to experiment with historical Chinese painting, piloting a novel approach to this long-standing tradition.
Special Event:
In Conversation: Wang Tiande and Einor Cervone, On Materiality
March 21, 2 - 4pm
