Yiwei Xu 


Bio/CV









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
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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

2024 Works On Paper, Blue Shop Galleries, London

2024 Pastel Society 125th Exhibition, Mall Galleries, London

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