In the Studio: Shao Fan | White Cube

Why It Matters

Shao Fan’s integration of traditional brush techniques with immersive studio design offers galleries a fresh narrative that bridges heritage and contemporary experience, influencing how art is created, exhibited, and valued.

Key Takeaways

• Studio designed in 2004 emphasizes natural growth and immersive experience.
• Shao Fan likens line work to rabbit fur, building through repetition.
• He connects Chinese Song dynasty aesthetics with Japanese influences in his practice.
• Emphasizes art as psychological fermentation, beyond mere visual perception.
• Uses everyday objects like apples to explore timeless, universal artistic themes.

Summary

In this White Cube studio interview, Chinese artist Shao Fan reflects on the design and philosophy of his 2004 studio, describing it as a space that “grows naturally” and can only be understood by moving inside it.

He explains his creative process as a disciplined repetition of a single line, comparing it to the layering of rabbit fur. By drawing tens of thousands of strokes, the line acquires new texture, ink density, and a sense of time.

Shao references the transmission of Song‑dynasty aesthetics to Japan and their subsequent loss, noting how ancient “one‑breath” brushwork resonates with his own practice. He also cites a painting he has hung for fifteen years that continually reveals fresh atmospheres, illustrating his belief that aesthetics ferment psychologically as well as visually.

The interview underscores a broader shift in contemporary art toward immersive environments and cross‑cultural dialogue, suggesting that Shao’s method offers a template for artists seeking depth beyond surface appearance and for institutions aiming to curate experiences that engage viewers’ perception and memory.

Original Description

‘The time I spent in the studio felt infinite. I could use it indefinitely. It was a bit like when drawing a rabbit, the second hair comes about from the relation with the first hair. Similarly to when you draw a long line, and then repeatedly layer line after line over it, it is a way of re-outlining.’ – Shao Fan

From his Beijing studio, Shao Fan reflects on the meditative process behind his meticulous monochromatic ink-on-rice-paper paintings. Drawing on traditional Chinese culture, Taoist philosophy and elements of Western art history, the artist explores the interconnectedness of humanity and nature. His works emerge through intense concentration, repeated gestures and a slowing down of time, as delicate washes of ink are built up line by line.

The film coincides with Shao Fan’s first UK exhibition, ‘Refrain / 复沓’, at White Cube Mason’s Yard, London, on view from 22 May to 27 June 2026.

Find out more: https://www.whitecube.com/gallery-exhibitions/shao-fan-masons-yard-2026

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