Shafei Xia
20x40x10 cm, sandalwood paper, watercolor
I use sandalwood paper, watercolor and paintbrush to draw this “Swing”. Like the paintings I painted before, the theme is still showing a state of freedom and harmony.
Last year, all mankind experienced an unforgettable year. Although the suffering continues, the human desire for freedom has never stopped.
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Shafei Xia (born in 1989 in Shaoxing, China) is a contemporary artist whose practice navigates the space between fantasy, instinct, and narrative, blending traditional techniques with personal mythology. Working primarily in watercolor on sandalwood paper, her vivid compositions feature animal and human figures entangled in dreamlike scenes, often infused with irony, sensuality, and theatrical metaphor.
Her artistic language reflects a deep interest in the emotional and symbolic layers of identity. Through recurring motifs—most notably her self-representation as a tiger—Xia constructs a universe where desire, memory, and transformation intersect. Her works evoke fables, circus imagery, and cinematic references, unfolding visual narratives that challenge the boundaries between the real and the imaginary.
Xia studied Scenography at Chongqing University before relocating to Italy, where she earned a Master’s degree in Visual Arts from the Academy of Fine Arts in Bologna in 2020. She has participated in numerous solo and group exhibitions across Europe, Asia, and North America, including shows in Bologna, Milan, London, Gothenburg, Tokyo, Shanghai, and Chicago. In 2019, she was awarded the prestigious Zucchelli Foundation Prize for emerging talent.
She lives and works in Bologna, Italy.
Her artistic language reflects a deep interest in the emotional and symbolic layers of identity. Through recurring motifs—most notably her self-representation as a tiger—Xia constructs a universe where desire, memory, and transformation intersect. Her works evoke fables, circus imagery, and cinematic references, unfolding visual narratives that challenge the boundaries between the real and the imaginary.
Xia studied Scenography at Chongqing University before relocating to Italy, where she earned a Master’s degree in Visual Arts from the Academy of Fine Arts in Bologna in 2020. She has participated in numerous solo and group exhibitions across Europe, Asia, and North America, including shows in Bologna, Milan, London, Gothenburg, Tokyo, Shanghai, and Chicago. In 2019, she was awarded the prestigious Zucchelli Foundation Prize for emerging talent.
She lives and works in Bologna, Italy.