Su Xiaobai's Alchemical Universe

The most in-depth presentation to date of the world-renowned artist's lacquer paintings, including explanations of his techniques for working with the challenging medium

Published with Su Xiaobai Foundation/Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

Chinese painter Su Xiaobai (born 1949) transforms the ancient medium of lacquer into a radiant, sculptural language. Trained in both Beijing and Du?sseldorf, he bridges Chinese literati traditions and postwar European painting. Working with local artisans and salvaged burlap, bamboo mats and ceramic tiles from demolished Qing houses, Su combines hand-ground pigments, mineral powders and shell dust into his "soup." Layered up to 20 times on engineered wood supports, his lacquer surfaces crack, sink and rise as each stratum dries at its own rhythm, exposing hidden chromatic and tactile depths. This volume presents two decades' worth of Xiaobai's paintings as well as two essays, a biography and an interview with the artist by curator Stephen Little. It traces his development as a master of lacquer-from his liberating break with oil paint in 2003 through to the present day.