Xiao Wang (b. 1990), is a Chinese born, New York based figurative painter primarily working with oil paint. Wang’s work combines dramatic and moody color palettes with a realism approach. He creates constructed scenes from photographs of still lifes, foliage, interior spaces, landscapes, himself, his friends, and loved ones. The contents of these scenes are rooted in everyday life, while the attention to atmosphere and emotion pushes the paintings to an uncanny space. With the use of theatrical lighting and distortion or exaggeration of colors, the world depicted in Wang’s paintings is elevated to a dreamlike space. At the center of this space are human figures, often in solitude, unaware of the fourth-wall in front.

 

Wang’s paintings reflect on anxieties and confusions in contemporary life, while seeking inner peace and solidarity with loved ones: some capture quiet moments of contemplation, some emphasize turbulent states of mind, and many combines both. He also explores his personal identity by inserting depictions of himself into the paintings and by subtly using personal symbolisms.

 

Xiao Wang studied at the Glasgow School of Art where he received his BFA degree in Painting and Printmaking. He continued his study at San Francisco Art Institute and earned his MFA degree in Painting. 

 

​Wang has shown internationally in Europe and The United States. He has been featured in publications including Journal of Contemporary Chinese Art, Elephant Magazine, Booooooom, Hyperallergic, Juxtapoz Magazine, and New American Paintings. Wang’s work is included in public collections such as X museum (China) and HSBC Collection(UK).