Shao Fan: Refrain | 复沓 (Exhibition)

Shao Fan: Refrain | 复沓

22 May – 27 June 2026

'The classical Chinese worldview and philosophy of life are also near and dear to me. According to it, all things are equal and everything is one.'

— SHAO FAN, 2014

Shao Fan's oeuvre is overrun with rabbits. They first appeared in his paintings around 2009 and have continued to resurface ever since: solemn, watchful and strange. Enlarged to near-human proportions, they face the viewer head-on, sitting upright with the ceremonial frontality of Chinese ancestral portraits. Soft ears raised, dark eyes almost at level with our own. In the earliest of these paintings, the rabbits were more figurative and detailed, fleshed out in muted hues of acrylic and oil. As Shao's technique and palette grew more restrained over time, the rabbits have become more spectral and elusive, coaxed into tenuous form with hair-like strokes of black ink.

The practice of Beijing-based artist Shao Fan (also known as Yu Han) is informed by a deep engagement with traditional Chinese culture, whilst also referencing elements of Western art history. Mixing past with present, his ethereal paintings, sculptures and installations explore the interconnectedness of humanity and nature.

White Cube Mason's Yard, 25–26 Mason's Yard, London SW1Y 6BU

Open Tuesday–Saturday 10am–6pm, Sunday 12–6pm. Free admission.

https://www.whitecube.com/gallery-exhibitions/shao-fan-masons-yard-2026