My name is Yiwei Xu (许一苇), a Chinese-born artist based in London. After completing the Drawing Year at the Royal Drawing School in 2021, my artistic journey commenced with a focus on observational drawings using mixed-media techniques. My creative inspiration stems from the natural forms abundant in city gardens, riversides, canals, lakes, and community green fields—serene sanctuaries where individuals seek refuge from the urban hustle and bustle.
Experiencing the outdoors is deeply therapeutic, engaging more than sight—it stimulates hearing, touch, and smell, deepening our connection with time and space. This multisensory interaction profoundly transforms my mindset. I find comfort in the environment's unpredictability, embracing the constant change and movement that symbolize life's dynamic essence.
My artistic practice is a reflection of the belief that "nothing is permanent except change." The concept of breaking and reshaping permeates both my mindset and artistic approach, instilling in me an open-mindedness that profoundly influences my creative process. It celebrates the transient nature of life and the beauty found in the variations brought about by perpetual movement. Much like the surface of a canal reflects the reality surrounding it, the reflection can be easily disrupted by a passing boat, a gentle breeze, or a drifting leaf. In these moments, ripples intertwine, shattering the water's stillness and giving rise to a new visual narrative.
This dynamic interplay between form and abstraction embodies a celebration of the unpredictable. My work seeks to capture and honour the impermanence that defines our existence, inviting the viewer to find the beauty of ever-changing dance of life.
Contact
xyw1216@hotmail.com
Available works for sale at Wondering People
Features
Booooooom
Education
1990 Born in Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China
2009-2013 Graduated from Donghua University, Shanghai, in BA Fanshion Design
2014-2016 Graduated from UAL Camberwell College of Arts London, in MA Illustration
2019-2021 Royal Drawing School, in Postgraduate Programme the Drawing Year
Exhibitions
2023 Secret Gardens, Wilder Gallery, London
2023 Royal Drawing School: Celebrating the Coronation of Their Majesties King Charles III & Queen Camilla, Christie’s, London
2023 Meet Me In The Middle, The Radford Gallery x Wondering People, London
2022 Visions of Healings, BWG presents, Cavendish venues, London
2022 Anywhere in Between, The Tub Hackney, London
2022 WEARY HAROLD, ASC Gallery, London
2021 With Love, II, Paint Talk presents, Online
2021 Drawing Year Open Studios at Space Studios, London
2021 Drawing Year End of Year Exhibition at the Royal Drawing School, London
2021 Best of the Drawing Year, Christie’s London
2021 Art Maze Mag Edition 21
2021 A Small Good Thing, Online
2020 Life on Venus, The Tub, London
2020 CSSA-Goldsmith China & Britian International Design Exhibition, Online
2020 D Dream International Illustration Invitational Exhibition, Shanghai
2019 Illustrate Lifestyle, International Visual Art and Illustration Exhibition Week, Beijing
2018 Solo Exhibition, Depth, Zzcetistar Book store, Shanghai
2016 Camberwell College of Arts Post- graduate Summer Show, London
2015 Bieastry Exhibition, Chelsea School of Art, London
1990 Born in Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China
2009-2013 Graduated from Donghua University, Shanghai, in BA Fanshion Design
2014-2016 Graduated from UAL Camberwell College of Arts London, in MA Illustration
2019-2021 Royal Drawing School, in Postgraduate Programme the Drawing Year
Exhibitions
2023 Secret Gardens, Wilder Gallery, London
2023 Royal Drawing School: Celebrating the Coronation of Their Majesties King Charles III & Queen Camilla, Christie’s, London
2023 Meet Me In The Middle, The Radford Gallery x Wondering People, London
2022 Visions of Healings, BWG presents, Cavendish venues, London
2022 Anywhere in Between, The Tub Hackney, London
2022 WEARY HAROLD, ASC Gallery, London
2021 With Love, II, Paint Talk presents, Online
2021 Drawing Year Open Studios at Space Studios, London
2021 Drawing Year End of Year Exhibition at the Royal Drawing School, London
2021 Best of the Drawing Year, Christie’s London
2021 Art Maze Mag Edition 21
2021 A Small Good Thing, Online
2020 Life on Venus, The Tub, London
2020 CSSA-Goldsmith China & Britian International Design Exhibition, Online
2020 D Dream International Illustration Invitational Exhibition, Shanghai
2019 Illustrate Lifestyle, International Visual Art and Illustration Exhibition Week, Beijing
2018 Solo Exhibition, Depth, Zzcetistar Book store, Shanghai
2016 Camberwell College of Arts Post- graduate Summer Show, London
2015 Bieastry Exhibition, Chelsea School of Art, London