In his new body of work, Dong Xiaochi’s paintings and mixed media works use scale and measurement as an increasingly central theme in his practice. These new works, at Albion Jeune, draw their dimensions from the Waterlily House at Kew Gardens and the window dimensions of Derek Jarman’s Prospect Cottage. Through these physical spaces, he explores the simulation, compression, and transformation of nature, drawing connections between real and artificial landscapes.
As an artist working between London and Shanghai, Dong’s practice bridges classical Chinese painting and Western contemporary art. A graduate of the Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts and the Royal College of Art, Dong draws from a wide range of references. His artistic vision draws on classical Chinese techniques and ecological practices to immerse viewers in evolving, tactile natural worlds.
Dong’s fascination with traditional Chinese gardens extends into a deeper relationship between nature, artifice, and cultural memory, continuing a longstanding artistic engagement with Asian horticulture. Using materials such as Akadama soil (traditionally used for bonsai trees) mixed with gesso as a base layer, Dong roots his practice in both material and conceptual concerns. His methodology reflects a deep attention to materials and ecological systems. The daily care of terrariums, amphibians, and reptiles informs his engagement with natural elements such as fungal beds and moss.
In his richly layered works, Dong overlays ink brushwork on grounds made from soils, establishing a mutual recognition between himself and nature. Despite anchoring his practice in tradition, he introduces precise systems of scale that engage with the exact dimensions of contemporary architecture, creating a dialogue between inherited approaches and present-day preconceptions. Influenced by Song dynasty landscape painting, Dong uses traditional brush methods such as cun 皴 (texturing strokes) and dian 点 (dotting) to echo natural forms and growth patterns.
His new works invoke the experience of moving in and out of the space, compressing perception into painterly form. These precise formats deepen the sense of immersion and function as portals. They recall both Chinese landscape scrolls and natural history museum dioramas, while the imagery emerges from his own visual and bodily impressions of light, humidity, and organic overgrowth.
Dong’s works explore the relationships between species, materials, and cultural frameworks that serve to inform the relational logic of his visual language. His oeuvre reflects a deep engagement with the aesthetics of constructed ecosystems and how these echo classical Chinese landscape painting. His works invite us into complex and interdependent systems, offering a contemporary image of nature shaped by both ecological reality and poetic composition.
Dong Xiaochi (b. 1993, Shanghai) has been presented at Hive Center for Contemporary Art, Beijing (2025); Altman Siegel, San Francisco (2025); William Hine, London (2025); Tank Shanghai, Shanghai (2024); The 24 Windows, The Swatch Art Peace Hotel, Shanghai (2024); Lychee One, London (2024); and THE SHOPHOUSE, Hong Kong (2024). In 2023 his work featured at Nan Ke Gallery, Shanghai; at ART021 Shanghai Contemporary Art Fair with both Hive Center for Contemporary Art and Nan Ke Gallery, Shanghai; Sherbet Green, London; Studio West, London; Pearl Art Museum (PAM), Shanghai; the RA Summer Exhibition, Royal Academy of Arts, London; and Split Gallery, London.
All images are courtesy the artist and Albion Jeune
Photography by Tom Carter
Painting details
Green Cube, 2025
Akadama soil, ink, acrylic, pastel on linen
180 x 180 cm
Eight individual panels (90 x 45 cm each)
Hide & Seek, 2025
Akadama soil, ink, acrylic on linen
30 x 20 cm
Monstera, 2025
Akadama soil, ink, acrylic on linen
180 x 200 cm
Green Cube, 2025
Akadama soil, ink, acrylic, pastel on linen
Eight individual panels (90 x 45 cm each)
180 × 180 cm
Green Cube, 2025
Akadama soil, ink, acrylic, pastel on linen
180 × 180 cm
Eight individual panels (90 x 45 cm each)
Dungeness Moss, 2025
Akadama soil, ink, acrylic, pastel on linen
168.5 × 124 cm
Dungeness Moss, 2025
Akadama soil, ink, acrylic, pastel on linen
168.5 × 124 cm
Skin, 2025
Akadama soil, ink, acrylic, pastel on linen
30 x 20 cm
Skin, 2025
Akadama soil, ink, acrylic, pastel on linen
30 x 20 cm
Skin, 2025
Akadama soil, ink, acrylic, pastel on linen
30 x 20 cm
