Hui Shi Elemental Writing (Su xie) No.3, 2023 USD 50,001 - 75,000 Etching, Polyester Thread, Hand Embroidery Edition Unique 140.0 x 50.0 （厘米） 55.1 x 19.7 （吋） Artwork size (incl. frame) 155.0 x 65.0 x 6.5 （厘米） 61.0 x 25.6 x 2.6 （吋） The term su in Chinese means plain, unadorned, elemental: like black and white, or a thing's mostelemental nature. I see this idea of the elemental reflected also in the process of weaving, where the repeated weaving of the silk fibers creates a kind of foundational visual lanquage. The weaving of fibers and the writing of words share many things in common. In Elemental Writing (Su xie), the cadence of calligraphy is transformed into a rhythmic interweaving of knotted, twisting fibers, forming an intertextuality between strangeness and familiarity, tradition and the present. Executed in pure blackthe intersecting, overlaying "strokes" of this woven script create a new style of writing, a pure free hand "brushwork."The term su in Chinese means plain, unadorned, elemental: like black and white, or a thing's mostelemental nature. I see this idea of the elemental reflected also in the process of weaving, where the repeated weaving of the silk fibers creates a kind of foundational visual lanquage. The weaving of fibers and the writing of words share many things in common. In Elemental Writing (Su xie), the cadence of calligraphy is transformed into a rhythmic interweaving of knotted, twisting fibers, forming an intertextuality between strangeness and familiarity, tradition and the present. Executed in pure blackthe intersecting, overlaying "strokes" of this woven script create a new style of writing, a pure free hand "brushwork." -- Born in 1955 in Shanghai, China; lives and works in Hangzhou. Shi Hui graduated from the Zhejiang Academy of Fine Arts (now China Academy of Art) in Hangzhou, China in 1982. Since 1986 she has been engaged in the creation of mixed-media works primarily using cotton, hemp, xuan paper, pulp and other fiber materials. Now considered as one of China’s most exceptional fiber artists, Shi Hui’s unique form of contemporary artmaking represents the intersection of a deep sensitivity to her materials, intense mastery of craft techniques, and a profound understanding of Eastern philosophical and aesthetic traditions. Shi Hui extends the parameters of traditional weaving practices into a construction of visual space, and transforms it into an experiential process that engages the viewer in a kind of visual "postmodern animism", conveying elements of the cultural and spiritual heritage of the East on the level of contemporary art. Major exhibitions include the 3rd and 14th Shanghai Biennale (Shanghai, China, 2000 and 2023), “Living in Time: 29 Contemporary Artists from China” (Hamburger Bahnhof - Nationalgalerie der Gegenwart, Berlin, Germany, 2001), the 1st Guangzhou Triennale “Reinterpretation: A Decade of Experimental Chinese Art (1990-2000)” (Guangdong Museum of Art, Guangzhou, China, 2002), "Alors, la Chine?" (Centre Pompidou, Paris, France, 2003), and “Flourishing Spirits” duo solo exhibition with Xu Jiang (Ludwig Museum Koblenz, Germany, 2013). Shi Hui was awarded the “Martell Artist of the Year” in 2007 and the “8th Award of Art China for the Most Influential Chinese Artist (Sculpture)” in 2014. Monographs on Shi Hui’s art include Poetic Simplicity: Shi Hui's Work (China Academy of Art Press, 2002) and Shi Hui (China Academy of Art Press, 2013). Shi Hui is presently a professor and PhD supervisor at the China Academy of Art, and the founder of the Hangzhou Triennial of Fiber Art.