Xia Tao

1986 Born in Shanghai

2006 Graduated from the Art Education Department of Shanghai Normal University with a bachelor´s degree

2010 Graduated from the Fine Art Department of School of Art and Design Kassel with a master´s degree 

Currently works and lives in Beijing

SOLO EXHIBITION

2015

Love at Second Sight, J Space, Beijing, China

2012

Guang, Autohaus Heller, Kassel, Germany

2011

8 mal, Alte Brüderkirche, Kassel, Germany

2010

Schluss mit Gegensätzen, Kunstbalkon, Kassel, Germany

2008

Dying Will Be the Death of Me, Stellwerk, Kassel, Germany

GROUP EXHIBITION

2016

2016 Art Nova 100, Beijing, China

Mr.Jian and Mr. Ka, Songzhuang Art Center, Beijing, China

2011

Interventionen, Regierungspräsidium Kassel, Germany

Xia Tao: My recent artistic works are keeping on thinking about thesocial changes that are based on Simplified Chinese since eighties of the 20th Century. During my study in Germany I began working with two chinesecharacters which areantonymous. I combined them and transformed into sculptures orinstallations. Now my focus is turning to how to react the property of“Space” in local context of chinese society and its paradox. In brief,“How to occupy space”. The other interest of mine is transformation betweenlanguage symbols (words) with its meanings and visualspacial elements. This interest could be reflected in thecharacter sculptures. After coming back to China, I aimed to involve local daily life in the works andpurify orsimplify the visual elements.