Silk-Thin Universes - Fang Chenzi: Playing in Earnest

Exhibition Overview

Silk-Thin Universes - Fang Chenzi: Playing in Earnest

Marking Fang Chenzi’s first solo exhibition in London, Silk-Thin Universes — Fang Chenzi: Playing in Earnest is curated by London-based independent curator Dongye Xu. Bringing together approximately 50 paintings on silk, the exhibition spans Fang’s long-running playing-card series, An Apology to Time, alongside other works and marking the public debut of her newest series, The Clear Grove. In conjunction with the exhibition, Fang will lead a hands-on workshop inviting visitors to experience gongbi painting on silk for themselves. 

Fang trained in Chinese painting at the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing, with works exhibited in China, France, Germany and Austria. Her practice is rooted in gongbi, a meticulous tradition of Chinese painting in which colour is built gradually, layer by layer, through precise control of water, pigment and brush. As colour accumulates on the delicate surface of the silk, subtle depth and luminosity emerge, with myriad details revealing themselves only at close range. This patient and unwavering way of painting offers a striking counterpoint to a contemporary world shaped by rapidly circulating images, information and ever-expanding choices.

Fang’s paintings draw on visual references from different cultures and periods: ancient Chinese ceramic figures, flowers and animals appearing alongside hot-air balloons; abstract forms and the familiar imagery of playing cards. Integrated within the same pictorial space, these elements are reframed and configure new relationships. The refined language of traditional Chinese painting now manifests contemporary imagery and cross-cultural experience.

The playing card has been a focal point in Fang’s practice for many years. Before entering a game, the card’s suit, number and rank are already defined. Once played within a particular set of rules and circumstances, its role can change. Through this recognisable visual system, Fang reflects on how identity, information and choice are continually organised, filtered and rearranged in everyday life. An Apology to Time moves beyond the cards’ defined borders towards the questions of memory, impermanence and change; while The Clear Grove carries these concerns into quieter yet more open compositions.

The exhibition’s subtitle, Playing in Earnest, describes an attitude towards an impermanent world: knowing that rules may change and things may disappear, while remaining willing to participate with care and attention.