A highlight of a standout booth from Galerie Marguo, this series of small-scale oil paintings on terracotta by Chinese artist Xie Fan each evokes a palm-sized universe.
The works distill celestial imagery into rich gradients of colors, suggesting both vastness and intimacy. In Celestial Signs (2025), the background transitions from deep crimson at the top to glowing amber at the bottom. At the center floats a small, delicate crescent moon, suspended in an expansive yet minimal color field. It evokes twilight skies but remains abstract enough to feel symbolic, like a memory or inner landscape.
The six works in the series offer a soothing meditation on cosmic dualities, whether sun or moon, day or night, warmth or coolness. The small scale of the works invites a slow reflection on cycles of time, nature, and the universe. “He’s using very natural materials [and], at the same time, painting very natural scenery…moons, solar eclipse, clouds, skies, fire, you know, very elemental,” said the gallery’s owner and co-founder, Vanessa Guo. “They’re not just beautiful, but there’s this connection when I look at it. It’s almost spiritual.”
Fan, who received his BFA from the Szechuan Fine Arts Institute in 2005, has exhibited at notable spaces in China, including at White Space Beijing and the Sifang Art Museum in Nanjing. This presentation marks his first in Seoul.
