Jingxian Niu is a dynamic curator who currently lives and works in the UK. Her academic background, including a Bachelor’s degree in History from East China Normal University in Shanghai, China and further studies in Art History and Archaeology of East Asia at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, has equipped her with a deep understanding of artistic traditions and their contemporary expressions. She has collaborated with multiple institutions and art galleries, where she explores unwavering belief in pluralism, evident in her curatorial projects with a meticulous selection of artists, theme and concept of the exhibition and the design of the exhibition space.
In the group exhibition ’wilderness of being’, she worked together with another London-based curator to present 17 artists from different backgrounds to explore the theme of wilderness as it relates to the ‘Self’ from Eastern to Western painting traditions. The exhibition delves into the concept of the ‘sublime landscape,’ a motive that has captivated artists across Eastern and Western traditions for centuries. The exhibition offers a compelling exploration of the sublime landscape, a journey of self-discovery, where the boundaries between the inner and outer landscapes blur into a harmonious whole.
Meanwhile, she tries to present how artists use different media to depict their relationship to nature in a society with their unique visual art language. For example, Cameroon artist Barthelemy Toguo’s work ‘Blue Purification’ has placed along with Korean artist Lee Jinwoo’s ‘Untitled ’series. In Toguo’s work, blue dotted lines are painted with watercolour are ‘rain transforming a scene or landscape into a marine universe’ which in the artist’s eye recalls his childhood experience of fetch water from far away everyday back in Africa. And with the untitled series, Lee created the work by placing hanji (Korean paper) on top of charcoal and hitting it with an iron brush. This process is repeated many times resulting in rough and steep reliefs referring to a possible interior landscape. And through this creating process, Lee finds it as the meditation to find his inner peace.
During the curation, Jingxian thought it is such a privilege to curate an exhibition located 3 mins walk from the Royal Academy of Art, which is an art institution with profound history. And she wants to use this stage to support young art powers. Therefor in the show she did not only include established names who has exhibited their artworks in major institutions globally, but also half of the artists in the show her team has selected are emerging voices from young artists who are still studying at art schools in London.
Another noteworthy exhibition she curated, is the collaboration show she did with London jewellery designer, in which she combined artworks from well-established artist Barthelemy Toguo and jewellery pieces from designer Stephen Webster. This exhibition has showcased her effort on combining different media and creating inner connections through her interpretation. She has selected Toguo’s water colour series on human-like forms which echoed her perception of jewellery is the artistic extension of human body. In some exhibited works of Toguo, you could see him portraying body parts wounded by nails. Jingxian has particular selected those to echoing the theme of the jewellery collection ‘thorn embrace?inviting viewers to contemplate the intersections between variant art forms. This pluralistic approach challenges traditional hierarchies within the art world, democratizing access to art while interrogating the commodification of cultural artifacts.
She recently curated a show ‘the rhythm of art’ in collaborate with Gallery W. SHANSHAN in London. In the show, she has deliberate pairing of Chinese female artist Yichun Huang’s digital creations with Chinese antiques from the gallery’s collection, invites viewers to contemplate the interplay between past and present, tradition and innovation, and the evolving narrative of femininity and empowerment. During the opening, she has shared with the audience her excitement of first time working with a gallery run by a female gallerist. To celebrate the special collaboration and female power in the art world?she apposes a dancing terracotta lady figure from the Han dynasty next to Huang’s contemporary paintings. By highlighting this work in the show, Jingxian disrupts the patriarchal narratives that have historically marginalized women’s contributions to art and culture. Instead, she celebrates the resilience and vitality of women throughout history, reclaiming their narratives and asserting their presence in the artistic canon.
From Jingxian’s thematic exploration of tradition and modernity to her celebration of cultural diversity and feminist discourse, her curation reflects a nuanced understanding of the multifaceted nature of contemporary art. By bridging past and present, East and West, she creates inclusive spaces that challenge conventions, provoke critical reflection, and celebrate the richness of diverse artistic expressions. Her bold vision and dedication to pluralism enrich the art world, sparking important conversations and expanding horizons.
