Chen Xi: A Rabbit’s Tale

The first comprehensive international monograph on the renowned Chinese contemporary artist

This first international monograph on Chinese artist Chen Xi accompanies her debut solo exhibition in Europe at MUSEC, Lugano. Structured in nine sections, the publication traces her evolution from the 1990s to today, each chapter reflecting a key solo exhibition in her career. Known for her deeply personal yet socially engaged work, Chen Xi explores the human condition through painting, installation, and conceptual expression—without aligning explicitly with feminist art discourse.
As Lü Peng writes in his foreword, Chen Xi’s work revolves around memory, vulnerability, and identity in an era of rapid change. Her recurring motif of the rabbit—a figure born from literary influence and psychological reflection—embodies the tension between fragility and resilience. From the expressive canvases of her early years to the installation Lost, a monumental wooden sculpture created after the Covid-19 pandemic, Chen Xi continually interrogates the role of the individual within shifting cultural, historical, and technological landscapes.
Combining academic technique with conceptual depth, her practice reflects the broader transformation of Chinese society since the Reform era. This monograph offers a rare window into Chen Xi’s singular voice and visual language—one that captures, with nuance and intensity, the evolving spirit of contemporary China.