INSPECTING AMBIGUITY
Paris, August 2023
In his pensive works, Chinese-born and Paris-based artist XIE LEI looks into the ambivalent nature of the subjects that will forever remain a fascinating part of our existence: life, love and death. Focusing on a monochrome and muted palette as well as anonymous, often unisex figures, Lei uses simple visual language to explore the utter complexity of these matters. Lei’s paintings often oscillate between reality and other dimensions – encouraging the viewer to get lost in his vision and ponder the essence of the human condition. During a visit to his studio, we spoke with the artist about the in-between quality of his work, the elements he finds most intriguing about the act of an embrace and his new show at Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris.
Your works often depict characters in dynamic and quite dramatic situations - who are the subjects that you paint?
They are anonymous, unisex figures – sometimes they’re based on other people, sometimes on myself. They’re both personal and neutral. I want the interpretation of them to be as open as possible – it can be anyone, it can be you!
How does this approach allow you to express the subjects that you talk about in the paintings?
The subject matter that I deal with has an eternal quality to it. I talk about life, love and death. What interests me the most is their ambiguity, how to present something difficult or almost impossible to express. So for almost 10 years now, I have been using a monochrome palette and this very simple visual language to describe a very complex subject matter. I’m fascinated by ambivalence.
A recurring motif in your work is that of an embrace - what attracts you to this theme? What does it symbolise to you?
Growing up in China, embrace is a gesture that we don’t do very much. [Laughs] But personally, I really like this act. To me, it showcases this very subtle relationship between two or more human beings, between visible and invisible.
You mentioned the monochrome colour palette of your paintings. How do you consider the colours for your paintings and what role do they play in the overall statement you make with your work?
The colours I use explore the in-between quality that is so central to my work – sometimes they’re very realistic and sometimes they feel quite unreal and other-worldly. The palette is my way of inviting the viewer to use their imagination – I think of it as a portal to another dimension.
What are the themes that have been particularly on your mind recently?
With my recent solo show at the Semiose Gallery and last year’s show at the Meessen De Clercq in Brussels, I was exploring the ambiguity of the gesture of lying down, the space between sleeping and death. For me, painting is all about exploring the poetic dimension – I don’t necessarily want to explain what’s on my mind, I want the work to do the talking.
You are soon opening your new exhibition at Fondation Louis Vuitton – what’s the concept for this installation?
It’s titled Au-delà [Beyond] and it’s focused on my favourite subjects: life and death. The monumental paintings created for the show depict figures on a tree and have a childish quality to them, but they also have this sense of ghosts that are appearing [around the scene]. They’re separate works, but at the same time, they’re connected to each other and presented in a way that looks like a wall painting covering the entire surface.
Lastly, I wanted to ask you about the basis of your process – how do you take the initial concept into the final painting?
I don’t really prepare drawings in advance – that said, I have a notebook that I use for traces and notes regarding the ideas. The whole process is very much like a bottle of wine, it takes me a couple of months to develop and mature the concepts. And then, I attack the canvas very directly.
Interview by Martin Onufrowicz
Photography by Jorre Janssens